


Prince of Riptide

by seasunwrites



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Dark Percy Jackson, Light Angst, Multi, PJO Big Bang, Powerful Percy Jackson, References to Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Sea Prince AU, but not too much lol, there’s more characters and relationships but I don’t want to list them all
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-30
Updated: 2020-06-30
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:40:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 48,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24992455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seasunwrites/pseuds/seasunwrites
Summary: On a cold December afternoon, lightning struck. Only one person—or rather, a baby—survived: the future of Olympus. Poseidon made sure to raise the child away from the eyes of Zeus, but how long does it take for the baby to grow and be forced into the open? How long does it take for a bastard sea prince to become the hero of Olympus?Or.A pjo retelling of Percy being raised by Poseidon and growing to become a prince, only for the gods to start a war and make him do all their dirty work. Rated T for language and some darker themes.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase & Percy Jackson & Grover Underwood, Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Percy Jackson & Poseidon, Percy Jackson & Rhode, Percy Jackson & Triton
Comments: 88
Kudos: 319
Collections: PJO/HOO Big Bang 2020





	1. pretty on the throne

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I’d like to give a million thank you’s to the mods for planning this event and to the betas Melissa and Nick (@darlinglissa and @nikdemic on Tumblr) who have worked with me to make the fic the way it is. And also the super talented artists Aqua, Nina, and Sadie (@aquacanis, @silima, @shorty-scribbles on Tumblr). Anyway, the’ll be posting their art via Tumblr, though some will be in other chapters, which means that their art will come up later. Make sure to check it out!
> 
> This fic was originally a one-shot, but my brain refuses to do that on more than one occasion, so it turned into a 15 chapter fic lmao. I’ll post the first three parts pretty close together, so expect like updates on maybe Friday and Sunday or smth like that. The rest will be every one to two weeks. I’ve got almost half of it done and the rest is pretty planned, so I’m p sure I’ll have consistent updates for the first time in my life haha.
> 
> With that said, I hope y’all enjoy it as much as I did writing it. I truly love this concept and just want Percy to be royal lol oops. Happy reading :)

_  
Then._

The storm hit with such force that it shook the world. He stood there, gazing down at the broken woman lying next to all the debris, almost unrecognizable compared to when she was alive. But the baby next to her was in perfect condition. He had saved the infant, but he had been too late for the mother. He tilted his head up to the heavens and let out an agonizing scream. Rain battered down against him.

“Why? She was _innocent!”_ But it was no use. The damage had been done. He crouched down and gently stroked the woman’s hair. “Sally,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. “For as long as I can, I will keep him safe. I swear it on the river Styx.” 

Thunder boomed as he picked up the baby, looked back one last time at the carnage that had once been an airplane, and dissolved into ocean mist.

  
  


_Now._

“And even though Athena became the patron goddess of Athens, your father was still very much venerated,” Percy’s tutor, Eldoris, rambled on. He was an old merman, and had been one of Poseidon’s advisers since—well, Percy wasn’t sure how long. The only thing Percy was certain of was that Eldoris had a special talent of boring him to death. 

Rhode once told him it was because of his hyperactive mortal brain, whatever that meant. But as Eldoris spoke, the words seemed to float around Percy’s head, not quite forming into anything. His vision unfocused until all he could see was a blur of blue.

Eldoris cleared his throat, snapping Percy out of his reverie. “Must you always lose focus? This is important for you to know, Perseus,” his tutor said.

Percy sighed and pinched his fingers down against the bridge of his nose. “Please. I go by _Percy._ Everyone knows that. And besides, I already know this story. Why do we have to go over it for gods know how many times?”

Eldoris raised a bushy eyebrow. “Because it is important for you to understand the upper world’s history. That’s what most land heroes need to know to survive. You will soon become one.”

Percy rolled his eyes and rested his cheek against his hand. “I don’t plan on becoming a land hero, thank you very much,” he grumbled. The old merman regarded him skeptically. Percy was tired of seeing those looks when he expressed his hatred towards his “supposed” future. 

“Personally, I do not like it either, my prince. Land people are terribly selfish. I don’t see why heroes need to preserve them. But it is your destiny.”

He grunted and desperately looked for a way out. Over by the small reef garden, he spotted Triton, amusement evident on his expression. _Ah, thank the gods._

Percy made a face, as if imploring him to help. When Triton only smirked, he stuck his tongue out at him. 

He glanced back at Eldoris, who had also noticed Triton. “Oh, um, look. I think they’re calling me. Sorry, El, gotta go!” His tutor opened his mouth to protest, but Percy quickly swam away before the merman could stop him.

“You should give that old mer a break,” Triton said as Percy came closer. He whipped his head back to where he and Eldoris had been sitting, but found only a bare rock. 

Percy looked at Triton inquisitively. “Aren’t you, like, the father of merfolk?”

“You got me there. I probably beat him by about two millennia.”

That made him snort. “Exactly. If anyone’s an old mer, it’s you.” 

His brother flung his arms as if to grab him, but he moved aside easily. He’d gotten better at that. “Hey! I look good for my age! You’ll wish you look even remotely this well preserved when you hit fifty.”

That hit a sore spot for Percy. And immediately, Triton seemed to notice it, too. 

See, he could easily have been granted immortality by his father, but Poseidon had said that the least he could do for Percy’s late mother was to keep her son’s mortality. According to him, it’s what she would’ve wanted. It sounded like madness to Percy.

He wanted to ask more, but his father’s eyes got misty everytime Percy mentioned her. She must’ve been very special to him. Poseidon rarely showed sadness.

To say the least, the news that he had to stay mortal was upsetting for Percy, and for most of the court as well. But his father _did_ promise to make him a god on the condition that he had to become a hero of Olympus. It lifted his spirits somewhat, but he knew why he’d specified Olympus. 

The great prophecy.

Percy didn’t know much, but he was aware that it involved him. A child of the big three. It was hard enough being part human and born out of wedlock, but being a potential danger and a secret to the rest of the Olympians was another thing entirely. That’s why he was underwater in the first place. Hiding, biding his time. So, naturally, he didn’t want to be a hero. If it meant putting the world on his shoulders, he would prefer his puny mortal body any day.

Triton and his other siblings tried to hide it, but Percy could tell. He could see it in their faces. They pitied him. As much as he loved his family, the hard truth was that he wasn’t supposed to exist, let alone be an Atlantean Prince. And all because of his dear, dear uncle.

So his older brother crossed his arms, fishtails twitching nervously. The lighthearted atmosphere seemed to have disappeared into the depths. “He’s right, you know.” 

“Oh, not you, too,” Percy groaned. 

Triton chuckled drily. His eyes got that faraway look that meant he was seeing the future. “You _will_ need to leave,” he said, face darkening. “Soon.”

_  
Then._

Amphitrite’s nerves eased off when Poseidon handed the bundle to her. She smiled softly at the baby, who returned her gaze with wide green eyes.

“Already looks so much like you,” she mused. The god scratched the back of his neck nervously. 

“I-uh. You don’t mind. Do you?” His wife cocked her head, thinking. 

“Hmm. This child is not guilty of anything. Even if you and...his mother _are_ partially. Well, mostly you, really.” She raised her eyebrows at him. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but she put a hand out to quiet him. “Let me guess, Zeus?”

His face seemed to age twenty years. Poseidon ran a hand through his hair. He shut his eyes tight.

“Well. I take it that it _was_ him. No, I mostly don’t mind. I’ve missed being a mother, anyway,” Amphitrite said. Then, she looked down at the baby who was already babbling away without a care in the world. Her hair floated around the two of them, giving her an ethereal aura that only the goddess could ever achieve.

“They grow up so fast, don’t they?” Poseidon said nothing. “What’s his name?” 

“Perseus. Percy for short,” he replied, voice thick.

Amphitrite hummed. “Interesting name.” She delicately stroked a finger across Percy’s cheek.

“She was an interesting woman,” Poseidon finally managed to say. Amphitrite flicked her eyes to him. A flash of annoyance crossed her face, but it was gone as quickly as it had come.

“I can tell. He’ll have a hard life because of it.”

The god dropped his head. “Look. I admit I made a mistake. But we have to hide him here, or else Zeus will kill him, too. I can’t do that to her, after everything she’s been through to keep her son safe...But he also can’t stay forever.”

She regarded him for a long moment, eyes searching. “I see. And you and I will do our best to raise him,” Amphitrite said.

“Thank you,” he sighed in relief, “for accepting him. I only hope I get the same result from court. And our children, especially.” Following Poseidon’s words, a conch horn blew close by. 

“Speak of the devil,” he muttered. A presence entered the throne room, and with it, the sound of fins. _Triton_.

“Father, Delphin has a—” The merman noticed the baby in his mother’s arms, and he immediately understood. His eyes widened with rage. Triton pointed at Percy as if he was the prime suspect of a murder. “What is that...that _thing_ doing here?” 

  
  


_Now._

A hurricane was hitting the mainland. Percy could feel it, even if the kingdom _was_ partially protected from the storms. It wasn’t a strange occurrence, ever since the winter solstice, his father had been angrier than usual, snapping at anyone and brooding as if his life depended on it.

He guessed it had to do with Zeus, since he’d heard a few whispers going around about the lord of the sky, but Percy didn’t think that all his father had was a little spat with him. It was bigger than that. He’d felt the power from this storm, and all the others before, as if the sea and the sky were fighting because of some unknown cause. Percy hated Zeus, and so did his father. It was fine with him if his uncle was getting his ass kicked. But still, something about this conflict had him uneasy.

Percy sighed and swam inside the palace. He passed by a few servants who bowed respectfully. “Please. There’s no need for that right now. I just want to know where my father is.” He had to talk to him. Maybe this conflict with Zeus didn’t involve Percy, but he had a feeling it did, which was never a good sign. 

“I saw him go that way, Lord.” The naiad pointed to an antechamber where Poseidon met with other sea deities. 

He turned to the naiad and gave her a grateful smile. “Thank you.” The servant nodded, and Percy swam towards the room. He was about to go in, when something stopped him. 

“—and I think it is time,” a male voice said. Percy didn’t immediately recognize it, which meant Poseidon wasn’t meeting with the usual courtiers. Even then, the voice sounded familiar. He hid behind a column and risked a peek. What he saw made him gasp. Giant pearls adorned the inside which gave the room and the panoramic maps and images an eerie glow. 

Poseidon was floating around checking the holographic pictures of the storm, but that wasn’t the surprising part. Accompanying him where the strangest assortment of sea deities he’d ever seen. 

The one who had been advising Poseidon was Nerites, based on the broad back and flowing brown hair pulled to a ponytail. He was his father’s consort and charioteer, not to mention his ex lover. Percy saw him frequently, but it was odd for him to be in a council meeting. As usual, Delphin was present, but what Percy found even stranger was the sight of his sister Kymopoleia, the sea god Glaucus, and his somewhat grandmother Doris.

Kym was busy looking at the storms hungrily; no doubt she was playing a big role in their making. Meanwhile Glaucus, the protector of fishermen, fumed silently in the far corner. Doris, Nerites’ and his stepmother’s mother—which Percy found a bit disturbing, was pacing across the room. It was rare to see her, as well. 

_It doesn’t matter why they’re here. You need to listen._

“Yes. I do think the same as my son,” agreed Doris, who had stopped pacing to regard a map of the upper world. “The prince is to find the stolen bolt before it is too late.” Percy’s heart sank. They _were_ talking about him.

His father’s shoulders sagged; he straightened himself before it was too noticeable. But Percy could tell: he was scared. _What did they mean stolen bolt?_

“Then it is time,” Poseidon said.

“It definitely is,” Glaucus said nervously. “We can’t keep going like this. You people have no idea how much this is affecting mortals.”

Kym scoffed, “Oh please, this is the most fun I’ve had since Typhoon Tip.” 

Glaucus stood up indignantly. “You are _selfish,_ Kymopoleia. Selfish and cruel,” he seethed.

The goddess only laughed. The sound was unsettling to hear. “Oh, look at you. All high and mighty. Shall I remind you how you became a god in the first place?”

Poseidon’s eyes flared with anger. “Kym, remember what I said.”

“Father, I’m on your side,” she said, unfazed by both of the gods’ resentment as she studied her nails. In the soft light, her skin looked almost blue. “Uncle’s accusation is ghastly. Charybdis was most upset. She swallowed a cruise ship, if you can imagine.”

“It _is_ rather unfortunate your sister can’t help. But that is why we must be careful. The heavenly father might curse us as he cursed her if we committed treason,” Delphin said in his whistle language.

“But that’s the thing! Our lord hasn’t done anything wrong!” Nerites insisted. He and Doris were probably the most distressed about the conflict aside from Glaucus. Percy watched as his father stood to the side, brooding. “His Majesty _has_ to prove his innocence. Perseus must find the bolt and give him to that sorry excuse of a god.”

His heart pounded, and he balled his fists. They wanted Percy to go to the upper world.

Doris shook her head in disgust. “Oh, I’m sure all of this is the work of Hades. It is just like him—” Percy floated closer, but hit a column because of a current. _Curse these storms._ The sound echoed across the chamber. 

Poseidon’s trident glowed blue with energy. Oh, he was angry, all right. “WHO DARES—” He swiveled to where Percy was hiding and his face softened, but only a bit. “Percy,” his father sighed in exasperation.

He cringed as all eyes turned to him.

Percy cleared his throat, hoping his voice wasn’t too shaky. He tugged at his braided hair nervously. “Dad.” 

Poseidon’s eyes said: _We need to talk. Now._

  
  


. . .

The pearls clincked against his palm as Poseidon handed them to Percy. 

“You will need these in your journey. Trust me, you’ll know when. Just understand that what belongs to the sea will always return to the sea,” the god told him.

“Dad…” Percy’s voice faltered. This couldn’t be happening. Not this early. “Has the prophecy started?” 

Poseidon’s face was unreadable. “I do not know, my son. But you must go and train like it was foretold.” 

Percy lowered his eyes. He knew there was no point in arguing, but he had to try. “I’ve already trained here,” he said flatly. 

His father put a hand on his shoulder. He wanted to flinch away, but Poseidon was too strong and stubborn. “I know that. And you are very good. But we can’t hide you underwater forever. This isn’t where you’re meant to be.”

“So what now? I’m meant to be killed off by Zeus? Is that it?” Maybe he was giving in to his reckless side, but he didn’t care. 

Poseidon tightened the grip on his trident. “That will not happen, and I’ll make sure of it. But you are meant to be a hero. And, like all of the greats, one day you can become a god if you desire.”

Deep down, he really wanted that, but it also meant risking the fate of the Olympus if the prophecy _was_ about him and coming out of the darkness so the great big world could see him. It sounded terrifying. 

“Whatever. I’ll do as you say. Obviously I’ve got no choice,” Percy said bitterly.

“Percy—”

“No. I don’t want to hear more. I’m going. Now.”

Percy summoned a current, and was about to will it to take him up, when his father tugged him down. His nostrils flared. “ _What?”_

“Good luck, son,” Poseidon said coolly. “And make me proud.” He had a strange glint in his eyes, as if he knew Percy would thank him one day. 

_If I don’t die in the process._

“Yeah, well. I wish myself luck, too.” And with that, Percy was gone.

Immediately after he surfaced, rain pelted against his skin. Percy had sensed calm weather, but apparently the gods had other plans. Or maybe it was him. He’d never tried anything on dry land, let alone go to the surface. 

Speaking of which, he had the strangest sensation as he tried to breathe; the air felt so cold and sudden. His eyes were also temporarily blinded by how _bright_ everything was even with the rain. He could only imagine what it was like to have sunlight hit his skin, and now, after living in a world of blue, he would be able to feel it.

This at least gave Percy some hope as he trudged ashore tripping and falling every five seconds to where his father had specified. 

_Lots of green and lights, look closer and there’ll be buildings._

_Green. This place is definitely green. And I think I see buildings further away,_ he thought as he explored his surroundings. The sand even felt rougher than it did underwater, and as Percy watched, he made footprints everytime he took another step. His body felt freer somehow, like it no longer needed to be restrained.

Just as Percy was about to go into what he guessed were the land’s version of seaweed or kelp, a horse man came out of the foliage. He was a centaur, Percy presumed, based on the stories he’d heard about them. He looked about forty, but it was hard to tell. His horse half was the one of a white stallion, and as he came closer, the centaur seemed to know exactly who he was.

He lowered his forelegs in what looked like a bow. “Welcome to Camp Half Blood, Prince Perseus. We’ve been expecting you.”

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oof ty for reading :)  
> I promise I’ll update quickly, like I said, it’s already written out. Kudos and comments are appreciated, and make sure to check out Nina’s art piece on tumblr (@silima) which made me cry of joy. Give it lots of love everyone ❤️🥺
> 
> The chapter title is from the song Love Club by Lorde. Um I want my titles edgy k


	2. steal my thunder

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely people😌
> 
> I hope y’all are doing well, bc I got another update (yay) haha. Anyway, for this one, the talented artist Sadie (shorty-scribbles on tumblr) drew one of the scenes, so make sure to check it out and give it some love!
> 
> Happy reading :)

The first thing Percy noticed was that it had stopped raining. 

“The magical border,” the horse man, whom he recalled as Chiron from their earlier introduction, explained. “It keeps the weather and the monsters away.” 

Percy nodded; he supposed it did make sense for a training camp filled with demigods. As Chiron trotted forward with Percy in tow, many of the campers stopped to gawk.

“Is he, you know, the one?” one of the girls passing by whispered.

“I think so. He looks so strange, though. I mean look at his clothes. And his hair,” the other one said.

“He _is_ the Sea Prince, Andrea.” 

Percy glanced over and scowled at them. Their eyes widened and they both stopped talking, pointedly walking in the other direction and looking over their shoulders furtively. Great, so he was still an outcast even in a place specifically for people like him.

Chiron gazed down at him. “Yes, I’m afraid I was not joking when I said we have all been waiting for your arrival. Poseidon claimed a few days ago that he had sired a demigod and had kept him away for twelve years. He ordered us to prepare him. He, of course, meant you. The announcement has been...surprising to say the least.”

Percy scoffed. Of course his father was going to announce it to the whole camp. It was just his luck. But his bitterness from everyone’s staring was forgotten when Chiron showed him more of the camp. Everything was so bright and beautiful, and, this time, it was Percy’s turn to gawk.

The campers all went about their usual day. Some were climbing what he learned was the lava wall, which sprouted a hot yellow liquid that he’d maybe heard about once, and others ran past with weapons. Satyrs played some kind of instrument on a field of plants that Chiron explained were the strawberry fields. There was a canoe lake, which was filled with naiads. They didn’t know him, but still they smiled knowingly. At least naiads were familiar, so he smiled back. Chiron told him about the training activities and schedules until finally they arrived at a house with a blue paint job, and at a table sat three people.

“Perseus—”

“It’s Percy.”

“Percy, this is the camp director, Mr. D,” Chiron said. A small chubby man with a shirt almost as loud as Poseidon’s stared icily at him, which would’ve been funny if Percy wasn't so overwhelmed by everything. He was playing some kind of game with a nervous looking satyr. Next to the satyr sat a blonde girl. All eyes were once again on Percy.

“Oh would you look at that. Another one of Barnacle Beard’s mistakes,” Mr. D groused. 

Percy clenched his jaw. “What am I? A mirror?”

Mr. D glowered at him right back. “You want to test me, child?” His eyes glowed purple, sending Percy a silent message. He inwardly cursed himself. That wasn’t just a miserable man with bloodshot eyes reeking of alcohol, it was Dionysus. 

“Mr. D, remember what we agreed on,” Chiron chided.

“Bah! Might as well send this kid back to his father as a dolphin. Learn to show some respect.” 

“Right!” Chiron interrupted with forced cheerfulness before anything happened. “Children, please introduce yourselves.” 

“Uh. Hello. I’m Grover,” the satyr said, forcing a smile at Percy. He had a mop of curly brown hair with a Rasta cap on top. After he mumbled his _welcome-to-Camp-Half-Blood_ , Grover began chewing on some sort of metal, ignoring him once again. The blonde girl sitting next to Grover was still staring at Percy. She had curly hair as well, but it was more like a princess’. It kind of reminded him of Rhode’s hair, but the similarities between the two ended there.

She had sharp grey eyes, which she used to regard him coldly as if to analyze the quickest way to take him down in a fight. She was also way more athletic looking than his sister, and a hundred times more hostile. But then again, something about her made Percy uneasy, as well. 

“Annabeth,” the girl said drily. 

“Good, good. Annabeth, dear. Would you mind showing Percy his cabin?” Chiron asked while Mr. D and Annabeth both gave Percy a dirty look. Oh, joy. He was already feeling the love.

“Of course, Chiron.” Annabeth nodded to him curtly, then she faced Percy and frowned as if he were a disappointment. “Come on. The cabins are just downhill.” She didn’t wait for him to follow.

  
  


. . . 

Percy panted as he tried to keep up with Annabeth.

“How do you...you know, walk so fast?” he gasped. Annabeth glanced his way, probably just now realizing that he had lived underwater for most of his life. 

“Oh. Right, sorry.” She didn’t sound so sorry. 

“Did I do something to upset you, or…?” 

She muttered something under her breath about sons of Poseidon and how she would much rather work with Zeus. 

“It’s fine,” she said with a pained smile. “You’re obviously a mistake. Anyway, these are the cabins.” Annabeth pointed to a cluster of one of the most bizarre collections of buildings. He was about to argue with her: _How dare she say something like that to my face?_ And, _was this her idea of a joke?_

But the buildings were too distracting and Annabeth was already explaining which one was which, so the insult passed over his head.

“Hey, Wise Girl,” said a buff girl carrying a spear. She introduced herself as Clarisse, the daughter of Ares, and then returned to her cabin to shout at some of her siblings as if nothing had happened. He appreciated that. 

“What about the swirly?” Annabeth called out, but Clarisse either didn’t hear her or didn’t care.

“What’s a swirly?” Percy asked curiously. 

She huffed in disappointment. “Never mind that. Look, your cabin is that one over there.” She nodded towards a low building with abalone shell and wrinkled her nose at it distastefully. “Cabin three, where you’ll be staying. Conch horn means go to the pavilion. You have sword training at two o’clock in the arena with Hermes.”

“Seriously, though. What’s your problem?” 

Annabeth paused for a moment, staring at him irritatingly as if he were stupid. He was starting to get tired of that look. “Our parents don’t get along. And honestly, I don’t mind following their example.”

Percy scoffed and crossed his arms. “And who might your godly parent be, O Wise One?”

Annabeth glared at him, but she stood up taller, which didn’t help matters since she already beat Percy by about four inches. With her chin up, she said, “Athena. Goddess of wisdom, war strategy and craftsmanship. Cabin six.” His mouth subconsciously made a small circle. He quickly closed it, but Annabeth noticed and smirked at him. “So, yeah. See you at Capture the Flag...Seaweed Brain.”

And once again, she was gone.

  
  


. . .

 _CLANG!_ Percy’s sword clattered against the ground while Luke, the head counselor for the Hermes cabin, stood over him, sword pressed against his throat. He let out a frustrated cry. The campers standing around them looked at each other uneasily. 

Luke lowered his sword in sympathy. “Don’t worry. We’ll find a sword that fits.” The son of Hermes eyed the multiple swords scattered across the sand. 

He sighed in defeat. “I guess...It's just that—I used to be _better_ than this. Everything feels so heavy,” Percy kicked the sword for good measure. Luke scratched his head nervously. 

“Uh—I mean, yeah, you’re right. Fighting here is way different from fighting underwater. Well I’ve never _tried,_ obviously. But—” he stopped his train of thought, opting to give Percy an easy smile. “Don’t worry about it, okay? You’ll get used to it in no time. But for that, we gotta practice, so...” Luke gestured to the sword lying on the ground by Percy’s feet.

“Ready,” Percy said, grasping it by the hilt. Luke raised his sword.

  
  


. . .

“And we would also like to welcome our new camper His Majesty Prince Perseus, who has come all the way from Atlantis,” Chiron announced. He swallowed the urge to roll his eyes. Most of the campers clapped respectfully, but Percy still saw a few snickering and whispering to their friends. He frowned at that. 

Across the dining pavilion, Percy watched as Dionysus drank from a goblet, boredom etched across his face as the satyrs around the god offered him grapes. Percy caught sight of Grover, who was staring at him curiously. He quickly looked away. 

Annabeth sat at table six with her siblings, and all of them had grey eyes. They also probably shared the same serious-looking faces, but at the moment they looked so carefree and happy. It was hard for Percy to see Annabeth as anything but the spiteful girl she had been earlier to Percy, but now he could tell that she was at least a bit human as she laughed along with her siblings. 

He didn’t want to admit it, but it made him jealous how they all got to have fun together while Percy’s siblings were somewhere deep in the ocean. Standing there, in an unfamiliar place all alone, it hit him how much he missed home.

Mr. D got up with a huge sigh, signaling with his hands for the campers to quiet down. "Yes, I suppose I'd better say hello to all you brats. Well, hello. Our activities director, Chiron, says the next Capture the Flag is Friday in honor of this new brat’s arrival. And afterwards, we’ll have a proper ceremony. As for Capture the Flag, cabin five presently holds the laurels." The Ares table proceeded to cheer loudly.

“Yes, yes. Now eat your food and all that,” said Mr. D, sitting down with a huge _thump._

Finally, Chiron pounded his hoof against the marble floor of the pavilion and everybody fell silent. He raised a glass. "To the gods!"

Everyone else raised their glasses. “To the gods!” Everyone except for him. He wasn’t going to celebrate them after everything they’d done. 

He loaded his plate with the food, even if it was all unfamiliar to him, and was about to take a big bite of a weird looking leaf when Percy noticed everybody getting up, carrying their plates toward the brazier in the center of the pavilion and dropping it into a fire. _Of course._

Percy stood up as well and tossed the only food he remembered the name of: a strawberry. _Father. If you’re listening, please give me some guidance. I don’t want to mess this up. Sorry about how I behaved, I promise I don’t hate you._

His food went up in smoke.

After eating, all of the campers—about a hundred strong—headed down toward the amphitheater, where Apollo's cabin led a sing-along. They sang camp songs about the gods and ate something called s'mores and joked around, and even though Percy didn’t know any of the songs or what most of them were talking about, he didn’t feel so bad. Most of them, excluding some Athena campers like Annabeth, weren’t staring at him anymore, and maybe, just maybe, he could find a home here. 

Later, alone in his cabin with the comforting sound of the ocean, Percy closed his eyes and hoped it would be a good summer. He’d wished too soon.

  
  


_Then._

Poseidon pounded the butt of his trident against his throne. “You had no right to do that, brother,” he snarled. 

“I’m afraid I had every right,” Zeus said coolly. The rest of the gods watched impassively, though most of them were nervous about the possible catastrophe that could happen if the argument became too violent. 

“So you have the right to murder innocent people? An innocent _mother and her son?_ ” The two brothers stared down at one another, electricity coursing through the air.

“I wouldn't be too keen on accusing me of such things when you have done the same multiple times, and you will not speak to your king in such a manner.” 

Meanwhile, Hades sat in his makeshift throne shifting uneasily, a shadow passing across his face. The god knew for a fact that the sea spawn wasn't dead, but he and Poseidon had an agreement. 

“He will speak to you however he likes, Zeus. I don’t care much about the...tragic incident myself, but this is not the very first time you have done it. Did you relish that time in killing my children? When they had, in fact, been born _before_ the pact? I wonder, how many have _you_ sired that we don’t know of?” Thunder boomed, and the atmosphere around the council filled with ozone. 

“Remember your place, Hades. You are only here as a guest,” Zeus growled through clenched teeth. Hades’ eyes darkened, but before he could say anything else, Poseidon stood up from his throne.

“This offence will not go unnoticed,” Poseidon spat. “The sea will remember it.” And with the gods gaping at him, he vanished into ocean mist and left mount Olympus, gray with clouds heavy with rain ready to unleash their fury over the city of New York.

  
  


_Now._

When Friday came, everyone was in a frenzy for Capture the Flag.

“She wants you on the team, you know that, right?” Luke said casually while helping him choose a weapon. Percy looked up from what he was doing, staring at the son of Hermes incredulously.

“What do you mean?” 

Luke nodded towards Annabeth, a smug grin appearing on his scarred face. Meanwhile, the daughter of Athena glared daggers at them. “Annabeth. She wants you on the blue team.”

“What? Why?” Percy glanced backwards where Annabeth was standing. She knew exactly what they were talking about, it seemed. But she wasn’t happy, and neither was Percy. “I thought I was with Ares,” he said.

“You were, but this was a last minute plan. Something about being a key role in winning.”

“Glad I’m traded around like some jewelry,” he groused.

Luke patted Percy’s back and shrugged. “Hey, it’s all good. We want you on the winning side for your fist Capture the Flag. Now let’s go beat some Ares ass.”

Annabeth looked the other way and pretended to examine her blade. He had talked to her more by now, since they both had Ancient Greek and she was the teacher. But talking with her had only been worse; she was infuriating. 

Percy knew more about Ancient Greek than anyone, but apparently so did Annabeth. They had plenty of fights; he didn’t understand why she’d purposefully wanted Percy on her team.

  
  


. . .

Percy opted for a sword and shield, though the shield itself was so heavy, he could barely walk properly. _Curse the land world. Why does everything weigh so much?_

“Blue team, forward!” Annabeth yelled. They all cheered, ignoring the red team’s taunts, and followed her down a path towards a part of the woods. 

Percy managed to catch up with her without looking like a fool in his heavy armor. “Hey.”

She kept walking.

“So what’s the plan?”

Annabeth narrowed her eyes. “You do as I say and everything will be all good, alright?”

“What does that even mean?” he said, tripping over a rock and almost falling to the ground. Annabeth’s mouth twitched as if trying not to laugh, making him angrier. 

“You’re not very gracious, are you?” she asked with mock concern. 

Percy sneered. “Look, I’m not very fond of you either, and I don’t want to be here. But we have to work together.”

Her grey eyes turned distant like she remembered something. “If you want to work with me so badly, then tell me the truth. I have a feeling you know about this.” She fixed her stormy gaze at him. “What was stolen during last winter’s solstice?” 

This took Percy completely off guard. “How do you know something was stolen?” They had gone from being hostile towards one another to having a civil conversation. He was maybe a bit glad about the change.

“Last year, we went on a field trip to Mount Olympus—”

“They let mortals go?”

Annabeth rolled her eyes. “It was an honorary thing, Kelp Head. Now listen. When we arrived, everything was normal. But when Chiron gave us a break, Luke just came up to us—”

“Okay, okay. I get it,” he said exasperated.

“Interrupt me one more time—”

“Look,” Percy continued, earning a death glare from Annabeth. It was only slightly intimidating. “You suspected about it and heard whispers of something like that, right?” She opened her mouth and then closed it. For the first time, _he_ was the one who’d left her speechless. Percy tried not to show his smugness.

“I take it you have,” he said, looking both ways furtively. He needed to be sure no one was close enough to overhear. When Percy saw the coast clear, he lowered his head and muttered quietly to Annabeth, “It’s the master bolt.”

Her eyes widened. “I knew it! So is that why you’re here?” It was also the first time Percy had heard Annabeth happy at the mention of his arrival. 

“Uh, yeah. My uncle is mad at my dad. I’m supposed to retrieve...you know. But I don’t know how.”

If she was interested before, now she was practically bouncing with excitement. “Well I do. You need to speak to the oracle.” 

“The what?”

“Not what. Who. I’ll tell Chiron later,” Annabeth said, then she muttered something about how maybe he was the one after all. It only confused him more.

“Uh…”

She rolled her eyes. “Ugh, what was I thinking? Come on, Seaweed Brain. We have a game to win.”

“I already told you not to call me that!”

“Whatever you say, Your Majesty.”

  
  


. . .

“Luke and Lee, you guys lead the foot brigade,” Annabeth said.

Luke put his hand up in mock salute. “Aye, aye, Captain.” This made Annabeth blush. 

“Malcolm, Harriet, and Vera. Your job is to guard the flag. The rest of you, follow me. We’re defence.” Everyone went about their way to do what Annabeth had told them, leaving the smaller Athena group plus Percy. He didn’t want to admit it, but she was a good commander. 

“So what are we supposed to do?” Percy asked.

“I already said it. Unless you’re deaf, we are the defensive line. Now everyone, follow me. We’re going to wait by the creek.” Her siblings followed her obediently, even the older ones. He guessed Annabeth was experienced or something, or else why would she be the counselor? 

Percy caught up with Annabeth again, not caring about the indignant yells from her cabin mates as he shoved them around. “I meant what am _I_ supposed to do?”

Annabeth sighed as if he were a pest she couldn’t get rid of. “You just stay with me. Watch Clarisse’s electric spear. That is all.”

“Look, I can’t do anything if I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Meanwhile Annabeth seemed about ready to explode. “Is being defence too hard for you to understand?” Some of her siblings that were behind Percy snickered. “Just keep the reds from crossing the boundary line, I’ve already discussed my strategy with Luke. I don’t need to specify to _you._ ”

“I’m not stupid, Annabeth. I know you switched me to your team last minute because you need me. How is that even allowed by the way? If you wanted me so badly, you gotta tell me part of the plan.”

“I don’t _have_ to tell you anything,” Annabeth fumed, her cheeks red. “Everything is under control, and yes, I chose you because I recognize that you can be the key to winning, but that doesn’t mean I have to talk strategy with you. Don’t act like you’re still important or whatever, your lovely _palace_ is not part of this world, so frankly, you don’t count as a prince up here.” She shrugged. “Sorry.”

Then, she stormed forward, and not without shoving him aside for good measure.

  
  


. . .

Branches snagged at his face as he and Annabeth crouched down by the creek. Small insects surrounded them, making weird buzzing noises. Percy felt a slight sting by his leg and found one of the bugs there. He quickly smacked it, leaving a small blood stain on his hand. 

“Mosquitos,” Annabeth muttered. “They suck on your blood.”

His eyes grew wide. “What?” 

“Shh.” 

_Okay, not concerning at all._

Sweat dripped down his forehead, which was now a thing for Percy. Sweating. Every time he felt hot, his body would produce a liquid. Apparently it was to cool himself down, but it didn’t seem to be helping. 

Percy went to work braiding his hair. He’d learned that doing something to it instead of leaving it down was more effective than _sweating._ Suddenly, Annabeth stood up. 

“Percy,” she hissed.

“What?” He swatted at another mosquito.

“You want us to spend all day braiding hair? I just got a signal that the Ares cabin is advancing.” 

“The entire cabin?” 

“Yep.”

“Oh, boy.” Percy got up to his feet leisurely, his knees already dirty with mud.

There was a rustle that came from the trees. Percy and Annabeth swiveled to where the noise was located. Annabeth held up her hand, commanding her siblings to be ready. 

She pointed her dagger out. “Who’s there?”

A figure stepped out of the foliage. It was Clarisse. Behind her came the rest of the Ares cabin. “Oh would you look at that. The Wise Girl has a lackey now,” she sneered.

In her hand, she had a spear, most likely the one Annabeth had warned him about, since it kept giving off electric sparks. 

“He’s on my team. We’re supposed to fight together,” Annabeth said.

“Uh-huh. And was that before you begged Chiron to switch him over, Miss Princess? We all know he would never say no to _you._ You’re just a selfish little _brat_.”

Percy could feel Annabeth breathe heavily, she was keeping her emotions in check. He knew very well how that felt. Maybe that was the reason why he gave in to defend her, even though she had been nothing but mean to him from the start. 

“So are you saying that you _also_ only wanted me on your team because I’m a prince?” He chuckled dryly. “Wow, that’s very rich of you guys. Thought we were actually becoming friends, Clarisse.” This made her glower at him, about to say something back, but he continued before she could. “Eh, I’m wrong most of the time, so as of right now,” he raised his sword, “I’m on the blue team. And my job is to defend the boundary line.” 

Percy glanced at Annabeth and smirked at her. He turned his head toward Clarisse and shrugged, “Sorry.”

They all charged. Athena campers came out of the woods. Blue versus Red. He was fighting an Ares camper who had come for him. Percy had no choice but to play the defence, his sword weighing him down too much for him to try offense. The camper pressed harder, almost getting through, but Percy pushed back with all his might. Land really was a harder place to fight.

“AAAAGHH,” Percy cried as he slammed the flat of his sword at the camper’s stomach with all his strength and drove him back into the creek. The moment he touched water, it felt like something had clicked inside Percy. Energy flowed through his system, and he began to counterattack. 

More of them came for Percy, realizing they had yet to neutralize him. 

But he knocked out every single one.

He grinned; his old skills had returned. Percy waved his hand and geysers shot out of the water, leaving spluttering Ares campers in his wake. 

Next was Clarisse, who was fighting Annabeth. He summoned a wave that spilled her to the other side of the creek. 

“Percy!” Annabeth growled. “I had that under control!”

“Why did you want me on your team then?” Percy said, taking a swipe at another camper and blocking his strike with the no longer heavy shield. 

“Good question.” She blocked another strike, disarming the attacker. Now they were back to back, and for reasons unknown to him, it felt right, somehow. 

_We make a pretty good team._ Percy shook that thought away. He only wanted to win, and it just so happened that helping the daughter of Athena was the way to go. Some campers managed to cut him, but Percy felt the wounds already healing.

Clarisse was closing in on him; she looked ready to spit fire. “You’re mine,” she said, water leaving her nostrils. Her spear sparked in the air, ready to strike—but it never hit Percy. He caught the shaft between the edge of his shield and sword, and snapped the spear like a twig.

"Ah!" she screamed. "You idiot! You fucking bastard!" Clarisse didn’t have the chance to say anything else, because Percy sent her tumbling backwards with the butt of his sword.

Then he heard elated cheers, but it wasn’t from the Athena campers. Luke came racing across the boundary line holding the red team’s banner. Flanking him were a few Hermes guys covering his retreat, as well as Apollo campers behind them, fighting off the Hephaestus kids. The Ares campers got up, and Clarisse muttered a dazed curse.

"A trick!" she shouted. "It was a trick."

Ares campers raised their swords, ready to fight Luke, but it was too late. Luke ran across into friendly territory. The blue team exploded into cheers as the red banner shimmered into blue. They picked up Luke and started carrying him around on their shoulders. Chiron cantered out from the woods and blew the conch horn.

The game was over. Luke was right, he was on the winning side to his first Capture the Flag.

  
  


. . .

“You had it all figured out, didn’t you? Ares coming after you and me because they were angry that you’d managed to switch me to your side, leaving space for Luke to retrieve the flag,” Percy summed up. 

Annabeth shrugged, stepping out of the water. “What can I say? Athena always has a plan. In the end, I was right. You helped us win.” Percy followed her to dry land, only to almost collapse on the spot. Annabeth quickly caught him by the armpits. His adrenaline rush had left him, it seemed.

A wound that had been healing on his arm stopped. Before Percy could steady himself up, he heard a growl close by. Then, a piercing howl. The campers fell silent. 

Chiron cursed and yelled in Ancient Greek: “Stand ready! My bow!” Everyone drew their weapons. On the rocks just above the creek, stood a huge black monster with lava-red eyes and teeth like daggers. _A hellhound,_ he remembered.

But there was no time to feel proud about his ability to name a monster, for it was looking right at him. 

Annabeth was the first to move into action. “Percy, run!”

Percy did the opposite. He had to be a hero, after all. Clearly he underestimated gravity.

Again. 

The hellhound jumped Percy, teeth inches away from his face as the monster pinned him to the ground. He stabbed his sword in his maw, but it was Chiron who landed the killing blow. Arrows ripped its skin, and before Percy knew it, dust was raining over him.

Beneath Percy’s armor, his chest felt warm and wet. He was badly cut. 

Annabeth cursed. “That was a hellhound,” she said, still in shock. “They’re not supposed to…” 

Chiron trotted close to Percy, face grim. “Someone summoned it. Someone inside the camp.” The campers’ faces were serious, the moment of glory gone.

“Come on, Percy. Get in the water. You’re wounded,” Annabeth said. He didn’t have to be told twice. The others gazed at him curiously, but one by one, they began to gape in wonder as they watched Percy’s wounds heal.

“Water does that, I guess,” Percy explained as he noticed the questioning faces. “I never understood why.” 

Suddenly, everyone gasped. _Now what._

But they weren’t looking at him, rather at something over his head. The creek filled with a green light, and with a start Percy realized that it was surrounding him. He looked upwards and watched as a holographic trident faded away.

Clarisse was the one to speak first. “But we already know who his father is. What—”

“This is my son,” a voice boomed, coming from nowhere and everywhere. 

Poseidon’s voice. 

“I sent him here for him to be guided. But, most importantly, to retrieve what was stolen and bring it back.” Only Chiron, the Satyrs, and Annabeth seemed to understand. “I am risking much, and may lose much. But you shall guide him to his journey, or die trying.” 

The light faded, but it lingered on Percy. “The blessing of Poseidon,” Chiron murmured. Then, he cleared his throat, “The ceremony was to give you a proper welcome, Percy. But it seems your father has other ideas.” He turned to the rest of the campers, and everyone knelt, including their teacher. “Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. All hail Perseus, Prince of Riptides, Son of the Sea God.”

  
  


. . .

That night, Percy had one of his worst nightmares yet. 

He was running along the beach in a storm. There was a city behind him, though it looked nothing like Atlantis. The buildings were taller, as if wanting to graze the sky. And it had the obvious difference of being a land city.

Down at the surf, two men were fighting.They both had long beards and flowing Greek tunics—one trimmed green and the other blue—Percy immediately recognized the one clad in green as his own dad, even if he rarely changed his appearance to his original Greek form. 

They grappled with each other, wrestled, kicked and head-butted, and every time they connected, lightning flashed, the sky grew darker, and the wind rose. Percy knew with certainty that the other god was Zeus. He had to stop them before it was too late. 

“ _Father!_ Please, Uncle, we aren’t responsible!” But the wind blew away his pleads. It was so strong that Percy’s desperate running didn’t seem to do any good; he was barely advancing as his heels dug uselessly in the sand. 

Over the roar of the storm, Percy could hear Zeus yelling at Poseidon.

 _Give it back! Give it back!_ The waves rose even higher and crashed into the beach with such force that the ground shook, as if Percy’s sister, the goddess of waves Benthesikyme, was helping Poseidon as well. 

“Stop it! Stop fighting!” he yelled. 

The ground shook again. Laughter came from somewhere under the earth, and a voice so deep and evil it froze Percy’s blood. 

_Join me, little prince_ , the voice crooned. _Come down!_

The sand split, opening up a crevice straight down to the center of the earth. His feet slipped, and the darkness swallowed him.

  
  


. . .

_“You need to speak to the oracle,” Annabeth had said._

Well, Percy had spoken to her, alright. And it had not been pretty. For now, his days at camp were over.

> _You shall go west and face the god who has turned._
> 
> _You shall find what was stolen and see it safely returned_
> 
> _You shall be betrayed by the one who calls you a friend_
> 
> _And you shall fail to save what matters most in the end_

“Well?” Chiron asked.

Percy slumped into his chair. “She said what I expected.” He told Chiron the prophecy, save for the part about being betrayed. He still felt uneasy about that. (Chiron looked at him inquisitively; he probably knew that Percy was withholding information).

Still, he nodded, scratching his beard. “I suspected as much about the west.”

“What do you mean?”

“If it was anyone who wanted to frame your father to start a war that would kill most of civilization, it was most likely Hades. He has always been bitter towards his other brothers. And his realm is in the west.”

“As in?”

“Los Angeles,” Chiron supplied. But he sighed when he caught Percy’s lost expression. “It’s a city. Your companions will give you insight along the way.”

“Wait, companions?” he asked, even more confused.

“Oh I forgot to mention, as per tradition, two shall accompany you on the quest.”

“So I have to choose two?” Percy scoffed. “I don’t have any friends.”

“Fortunately for you, my boy, someone has already volunteered to go on your quest. And that person already has a suggestion as to who the third member should be. I highly encourage you to pick both.”

Percy raised an eyebrow. “Gee, who would be stupid enough to go on this suicide mission?” 

The air shimmered next to him, and suddenly Annabeth was there, with some sort of hat in her hand. “I volunteered. If you’re going to save the world, I’m the best person to keep you from messing up.” Her eyes sharpened, daring him to question her.

Percy gaped like a fish out of water. “How did you? I mean you were invisible and then—”

“And I’d also like for Grover Underwood to be part of the quest. He needs it more than I do.” Annabeth said it as if it were an order instead of as the suggestion Chiron had mentioned. She glanced toward the rolling fields. The satyr in question was already trotting over to them.

Percy sighed. He supposed it wouldn’t be too bad for Grover to be part of the team. They had until the Summer Solstice. It was going to be a long journey

  
  


. . .

Chiron gave him a shiny stick.

“This is a pen,” he explained. “It’ll be your new weapon. Almost forgot to give it to you.”

"Gee,“ Percy said. "Thanks."

"Percy, that's a gift from your father. I've kept it for years, not knowing you were who I was waiting for. But the prophecy is clear to me now. You are the one."

He remembered a couple of years ago Poseidon telling Percy that he would be given the right weapon, but that it would happen in its own time. Could this be…?

He took off the top part, and the pen transformed into a double-edged blade with a leather-wrapped grip. It was the first weapon that actually felt balanced in Percy’s hand since arriving at Camp Half Blood.

"The sword has a tragic history, made especially for a person with the blood of the ocean," Chiron told him. "Its name is Anaklusmos."

"'Riptide,‘“ Percy translated.

“Mortals cannot be harmed by it. But alas, you’ll only need it for monsters and other non-mortals. Zeus is after you now, and he will only hesitate to kill you because he suspects you to be the lightning thief and wants you to return his bolt.” 

Percy sighed in defeat, “I know. Well, if all goes well, Poseidon’s kingdom will be forgiven, and we’ll stop a war.”

Chiron smiled. “Good luck.”

  
  


. . .

“Why don’t you join us as well?” Percy asked Luke. They were checking in on every necessity, while the bodyguard Argus waited for them down below. 

Luke’s mouth twitched like he was trying for a smile. “Only three people are allowed. Plus you already have a great team.”

Percy didn’t think so, but he tried not to show his disappointment. At least Luke had been nice to him, not caring about his parentage or anything like that. 

Luke must’ve sensed his mood, because he put a hand on Percy’s shoulder and said, “Hey, don’t let what the oracle told you be a bother. I hate prophecies as well. They usually have lots of meanings. But worrying too much was partly why my quest didn’t do so well.”

Percy wondered if his bitterness had anything to do with the scar on his face. 

  
  


. . .

They were inside some sort of weird chariot that Annabeth had called a van, whatever that meant. Argus drove by, rain pelting against the glass. 

Annabeth was the first to break the silence. “You can’t wear the flying shoes, you know.”

Thunder boomed, as if his uncle agreed with her as well. Which, he probably did. 

“I know,” he sighed. “I’ve never been in his domain, but uncle’s a dick.” Both Grover and Annabeth looked around wearily, checking to see if lightning hit the van, but it never did. 

Percy was sure to never insult Zeus and call him by name. Names had power, after all.

Grover picked at his jeans. “Um...so do you think it would be okay for me to, like, maybe borrow the shoes, ahem, your-your Royal... _Majesty_?” 

Percy suppressed a laugh; the poor satyr seemed too embarrassed to have asked the question for Percy to be making fun of him. “Call me Percy. And yeah, they’re yours. I don’t really care for shoes anyway.”

Grover smiled hesitantly. “Cool.”

By the time Argus had taken them to New York, Percy was awestruck by what he saw. 

Grover noticed. “Been here before?” he asked gently.

“Um, no. Why?” 

“Your emotions,” he supplied. “They tell me that you’re homesick or something.” Grover proceeded to fiddle with his Rasta cap, as if thinking he’d overstepped. 

Percy tried not to feel too upset about someone sensing his emotions. “Oh. Yeah, that’s cool. Satyrs read emotions, right?” Grover nodded. “I mean, I’ve never been to New York. It’s amazing, though. Never seen anything like it. Dad told me once that this was my hometown, so…” 

Percy wasn’t sure why he was opening up so much to him, but Grover just seemed genuine.

The conversation ended there, because Grover stared at him mournfully. “I’m sorry.”

Percy waved him off. “It’s fine.”

  
  


. . .

_BOOM!_

Lightning hit the bus they had taken from New York. An angry wail from inside told him the harpies were not yet dead.

"Run!" Annabeth said. "She's calling for reinforcements! We have to get out of here!"

They ran for cover into the woods, with rain pouring down, the bus in flames behind them, and nothing but darkness ahead.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh I hope I delivered lol. If you enjoyed, kudos and comments are appreciated:)


	3. dancing in my storm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last part of tlt. Um it’s a bit longer but I just wanted to wrap it up in this chapter so. Also the chapter title is from Liability from Lorde bc she is god. Hope y’all enjoy:)

Grover was shivering and braying, his big goat eyes turned slit-pupiled and full of terror. "Three Kindly Ones. All three at once."

Percy couldn’t agree with him more, not only did Hades know about him now, but so did Zeus. The explosion of glass windows still rang in his ears. But Annabeth kept pulling them along, saying, "Come on! The farther away we get, the better."

"All our things were back there,” Percy reminded her.

"Well, maybe if you hadn't decided to jump into the fight—"

"What did you want me to do? Let you get killed? I may not like you very much, but that just would’ve been low."

"You didn't need to protect me, Percy. I would've been fine."

"Sliced like sandwich bread," Grover chimed in, "but fine."

"Shut up, goat boy," said Annabeth.

Grover brayed mournfully, muttering about tin cans.

After a few minutes of sloshing around in the mud, Annabeth fell in line next to Percy. "Look, I..." Her voice faltered. "I appreciate your coming back for us, okay? That was really brave. And now I can’t believe I just said that."

Percy chuckled. "I can’t just leave my companions behind, can’t I? Besides, you saved me from that hellhound."

“Because you helped me beat Clarisse. And technically I didn’t save you from it. Chiron did. I just warned you to run which you didn’t do because your stupid ass wants to prove you can be a hero or whatever.”

Percy snorted. “That sounds weird. But still, I owe you twice for that, I guess. They were  _ fur—” _

“ _ Don’t  _ say their name.”

“Right. Sorry.”

She was silent for a few more steps. "It's just, well…it would suck for you to die, obviously, but most importantly it would mean the quest was over.”

“How considerate,” Percy said sarcastically.

“Well, why else would I volunteer? This may be my only chance to see the real world. I haven’t left since I was seven."

The thunderstorm had finally let up. The city glow faded behind, leaving them in almost total darkness

"You haven't left Camp Half-Blood since you were seven?" he asked her. 

"Are you deaf?”

Percy cocked his head. “I don’t know. But you’ve told me once or twice.”

She shook her head. “To answer your question, no. Only on short trips."

“At least we have something in common.”

Annabeth made a face. “Ugh. No, actually. You just became a poxy prince. I ran away.” 

“Oh. Damn, that young?”

"Yeah. It didn't work out for me living at home. I mean, Camp Half Blood is my home." He was surprised by how much she was willing to open up, the words just rushed out of her mouth. "At camp you train and train. And that's all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That's where you learn whether you're any good or not."

Annabeth sounded doubtful, but to Percy there was truth in what she’d said. "You're pretty good with that knife," he admitted.

"You think so?"

"Anybody who can piggyback-ride a Kindly One is okay by me."

Percy couldn't really see, but he thought he might've finally made her smile.

  
  


. . .

They stopped by a small warehouse with stone statues.

“I smell monsters,” Grover said nervously.

“Your nose is clogged up from the Furies," Annabeth told him. "All I smell is burgers. Aren't you hungry?"

"Meat!" he said scornfully. "I'm a vegetarian."

"As long as it isn’t fish then I’m fine with it,” Percy said. He couldn’t believe he agreed with Annabeth on something.

  
  


. . .

They hadn’t listened to Grover. And that had been the fatal mistake. Apparently the lady who had made them the delicious food was none other than Medusa. And she wanted to keep Percy as a statue.

_ Thwack!  _

Percy slashed.

The next thing he knew, a warm liquid oozed into his socks.  _ Disgusting. _

  
  


. . .

_ You’re such a pretty prince. Do not be a pawn of the gods, my dear. You’re better off as a statue. _

Part of him knew Medusa had been right. He was angry at the gods for fighting over stupid shit and making heroes do all the dirty work. He was only doing it for his father, and even Poseidon wasn’t spared. Percy knew that his father loved him in the end, but still. Why did Percy have to leave home and become his dad’s lackey?

So he put Medusa’s head in a box with a note that said:  _ With best wishes, Percy. _

“They’re not going to like that,” Grover warned. “They’ll think you’re impertinent.”

“I  _ am  _ impertinent.”

  
  


. . .

In his dream, he stood by a pit so wide and completely black, that Percy had a feeling it was bottomless. There was something evil trying to rise over the abyss.

_ Little hero,  _ an amused voice rasped. It sounded cold and ancient, and immediately Percy wanted to run far, far away.  _ Why are you bringing Zeus that bolt? He has done nothing but leave you without a mother. Your father took you in, but it was only to save himself from his brothers’ wrath.  _

He tightened his jaw. “Leave me alone.” Spirits of the dead tugged at his clothes, but he pushed them away. “Who are you, anyway?” 

_ You’ll know soon enough.  _ Then the voice paused, as if thinking about what to say next. 

_ I will give you what you really need back. Your mother. Immortality. Help me rise, boy. Bring me the bolt. Strike a blow against the treacherous gods!  _

One of the spirits rose above them all. An ethereal glow appeared out of the darkness. A woman stood with a baby in her arms. She smiled kindly at Percy, a smile that seemed familiar to him but at the same time so foreign. Suddenly her face contorted to a look of horror. 

_ Go!  _ She screamed.  _ Wake! _

Someone was shaking him. 

His eyes flew open, daylight streaming in. 

“Well,” Annabeth said. “Sleeping Beauty awakes.”

  
  


. . .

Traveling through land was crazy. There were so many ways to do it, and frankly, he much preferred swimming. But now, they were on a train to Los Angeles, apparently heading west. But the train didn’t look like it was moving too much. 

Annabeth said it had to do with physics and that they  _ were  _ moving fast, whatever that meant.

He fell asleep multiple times, and finally Annabeth plopped down next to Percy and questioned him about his dreams. Percy was so bothered by the voice from the pit that he told her about it.

“But why ask you to bring him the master bolt if he already has it?” she inquired.

Percy shook his head, mystified. 

Grover had reminded him of something similar the furies had said:  _ “Where is it? Where?” _

They were screwed if the master bolt hadn’t been stolen by Hades.

“Percy, I don’t care if the Kindly Ones weren’t as aggressive this time, but Hades—”

“This time?” Percy asked. “You mean you’ve met them before?”

She looked away, her expression turning to stone. “Let’s just say I have no love for the Lord of the Dead. You can’t be making deals.” 

“If it were your dad, you wouldn’t want to bring him back?”

Annabeth looked him dead in the eye. “That’s easy. I’d leave him to rot.”

  
  


. . .

They sat in comfortable silence, listening to Grove’s snores. “I want to do something permanent like that,” Annabeth said wistfully as she gazed at a huge arch thing completely dwarfing the buildings around it. 

He laughed. “You? An architect?”

Any ice that had been thawing around them completely froze again. Her cheeks flushed. “Yes, an architect. Athena expects her children to create things, not just tear them down, like a certain god of earthquakes I could mention.”

  
  


. . .

They jumped off the train at St. Louis, the place where the huge arch was. And now, after plummeting down said arch and into a dirty river, fighting Echidna and her ugly son and getting poisoned, saving some mortal family, and talking to Zali the sea nymph—Percy, Annabeth, and Grover were back on the train.

_ Denver, Colorado? Huh, there are so many cities. _

  
  


. . .

The woman serving their booth plopped down a shiny piece of paper in front of Percy. 

“We, um, want to order dinner,” Percy said. He had never felt hungry in his life, and now all he wanted to do was eat the paper like Grover was doing. 

“You kids have any money to pay for it?” 

Grover’s lip quivered while Annabeth looked ready to pass out. 

A rumble distracted the woman from questioning them again. A large machine pulled up to the curb. The huge man riding it stepped out and entered the place.

_ Ding. _

All conversation stopped. The man was muscular, with a red muscle shirt and black jeans and a black leather duster. A knife was strapped to his thigh. The man had the cruelest, most brutal face Percy had ever seen, but it somehow looked familiar.

The man said, "It's on me." He slid into their booth, crowding Annabeth against the window.

  
  


. . .

“So you’re old Seaweed’s kid, huh?” He grinned at Percy. “Everyone’s talking about you. They can’t believe Barnacle Beard hid you away this whole time. Zeus didn’t take it very well.”

Percy should've been surprised, or scared, but instead he felt himself wanting to strangle the guy. 

_ Keep a hold of your temper,  _ Eldoris’ voice whispered in his head. 

_ Breathe in. Breathe out.  _

_ Shut up. _

"What's it to you?"

Annabeth's eyes flashed Percy a warning. "Percy, this is—"

"S'okay," he said. "I don't mind a little attitude. Long as you remember who's the boss. You know who I am, little cousin?"

Suddenly it clicked why he seemed so familiar to Percy. The man looked like Clarisse. “You’re Ares, god of war.” 

The lady came back with heaps of food. Right away, they dug in.

“That’s right. I’m here to help you out, ya know? But first...I need a favor.”

  
  


. . .

The sun was sinking behind the mountains by the time they found the water park. Percy didn’t know what he’d expected to find in a place called a “park,” but this was not it. The letters from the sign were smashed out, so it read WAT R A D.

The main gate was padlocked and topped with barbed wire. Inside, huge dry slides and tubes and pipes curled everywhere, leading to empty holes in the ground. The place looked outright abandoned.

“Wonder why he’d take Aphrodite to this hellhole,” Percy muttered.

After a couple of minutes of searching in the abandoned park, they’d found Ares’ shield in a deep hole with mirrors all around it. The sign read Thrill Ride O’ Love.

"Grover, I want you to stay up top with the flying shoes. You're the flying ace, remember? I'll be counting on you for backup, in case something goes wrong."

Grover puffed up his chest a little. "Sure. But what could go wrong?"

"I don't know. Just a feeling. Annabeth, come with me—"

"Are you kidding?" She looked at Percy as if he’d just told her Nereus smelled nice. Her cheeks were bright red.

"What's the problem now?" he demanded.

"Me, go with you to the...the 'Thrill Ride of Love'? How embarrassing is that? What if somebody _ saw _ me?"

Annabeth sounded ridiculous. "Who's going to see you?" But Percy’s face was flushed too, for some reason. 

_ Girls are so complicated. Athena girls are worse. _

"Fine," he sniffed. "I'll do it myself." But soon enough, she was following Percy down the hole, muttering about how boys always messed things up.

They reached the boat. The shield was propped on one seat, and next to it was a lady's silk scarf.

  
  


. . .

_ It’s a trap.  _

Too late, as they tried to climb out, metallic spiders came out of the mirrors. 

Annabeth screamed with terror. “Spiders! Sp-sp-aaaah!”

Percy had never seen her so helpless. He quickly dragged her into the boat. 

The speakers started a countdown, most likely for them to get broadcasted and look like fools. He groaned internally. Of course Hephaestus would do this.

Now the spiders were spitting thread, and after futile attempts from Grover to get them out, Percy knew they’d be seen on Olympus anyway. Great. 

_ Think _ , he thought.  _ Think.  _

_ Water. _

He could feel it, and this place had most likely been covered with water when it wasn’t abandoned. Percy felt the familiar tug on his gut, summoning the entire ocean, and—

_ Whoosh.  _

  
  


. . .

Annabeth and Percy were inside a tunnel now, going faster than he anticipated. Out of the rushing darkness, something darker loomed, and as they got closer, Percy could see it clearly: a dead end. 

Annabeth was screaming her lungs out, cursing him and saying how crazy he was. The gods were probably having so much fun. 

“Okay,  _ shut up! _ We’re going to jump on my mark!” Percy shouted.

“On  _ your  _ mark? You don’t even know physics!”

“Fine! On  _ your _ mark!”

Annabeth calmed down a bit and narrowed her eyes. “Okay, one...two...three!”

  
  


. . .

They jumped a little too far, but luckily Grover caught them. Percy turned back to the cameras, which were still trained at them. 

“Show’s over! Have a great day!” he yelled, flipping them off.

“Uh, Percy? Maybe we shouldn’t do that,” Grover warned. 

Percy shrugged. “Eh, I don’t care. They’ll always say the same things about me.”

“Which are?” Annabeth asked.

“That I’m just the bastard, mortal, and spoiled prince that Poseidon had no business in keeping. But everyone’s too scared to say it to my dad’s face. Anyway, we got the shield. Let’s go.”

They stared at Percy, dumbstruck, but still they nodded and followed.

  
  


_ Then. _

The little boy could not sit still for the life of him. Already five years old and still Perseus wasn’t able to fend on his own, forcing Triton to babysit the runt when the merman could easily be in lake Tritonis surrounded by beautiful people.

But the boy was missing. Again. 

This job was going to be the death of him, and he wasn’t even mortal, unlike his younger brother. Triton was set to find him, though. If Perseus got lost for too long...let’s just say it would not end well for Triton.

After hours of searching and grumbling to himself, he found the boy. But he wasn’t alone; that much, Triton could sense. Perseus was peering over a chasm that went deeper into the ocean, he had to get to him before it was too late, but something made him stay back.

“ _ My  _ brother says I can’t have a pretty tail like yours.”

“And why would that be, little prince?” an amused voice replied from the depths. It sounded familiar, but Triton couldn’t pinpoint why.

“Because daddy says I need to stay a boy.”

“Oh, but little prince,  _ I  _ can give you a tail. It isn’t so hard. If you join me and my brother someday, we’ll gift you what is rightfully your own.” 

Who was this creature and why did he want his younger brother? He was most likely a god, and one of Poseidon’s enemies at that. But before Triton showed himself, he wanted to know more.

Perseus cocked his head to the side. How innocent he was. “What d’you mean?”

“They are scared to make you a god like the rest of your family. Someday, you might not be loyal to them. Why should you be? You are safest here. With me,” the voice assured. Triton could practically hear it smiling, knowing he was succeeding in lurking into the boy’s head. Frankly, he’d heard enough. 

Triton swam out of the shadows and snatched Perseus before the godling could blink. He peered into the abyss and what he saw made him catch his breath.

It was Oceanus.

“Well, well. Hello, Trumpeter. No time no see,” said Oceanus. With what little light there was, he could still make out the crab horns and the long, navy blue tail.

“Great uncle,” Triton snarled. “You and your horrid pet snake are not welcome here.” 

“So heartwarming to know you are still the snobs that feel superior to the first rulers of the sea.”

Triton tensed as Perseus squirmed in his arms. “You have no power here, not anymore. I am the ruler of the depths. Not you.”

The titan smirked. “Oh, but I will, once the youngling makes his choice.” Oceanus’ eyes fell on Perseus.

The boy turned to his older brother. “What choice, Tee-tee?” 

Triton shook his head. “Nothing for you to worry about. Don’t listen to that slime ball.”

Oceanus grinned toothily. “He even calls you Tee-tee? How sweet. Come, my boy. Your sorry excuse of a brother has done nothing for you. What a life that awaits you if you only choose to come with me.” 

Triton knew that heroes could do anything, go anywhere. Oceanus knew this, too; he’d probably been speaking to Perseus for some time now. But Triton would not allow it, and it wasn’t only because of The Great Prophecy. For some reason, he felt a surge of protectiveness.

“You stay the fuck away from my brother, you hear me? Like I said, there is nothing for you here.” 

The titan growled while his snake’s eyes glowed green. “Come on, boy. We’ve talked about this. I can give you what others cannot.”

Only Perseus was afraid of him now. He clutched Triton tighter and shook his head. 

Oceanus sneered. “Very well.” Then he looked at Triton and bared his teeth. “I have had enough of peacefulness. Someday, we shall have our revenge.” 

His eyes were the last to disappear. Still watching, still waiting.

  
  


_ Now. _

A smelly cart with caged animals was not what Percy had in mind when Ares gave them transportation. At least he had a new backpack.

Annabeth and Percy sat in silence as Grover talked to animals in goat bleats, but they just stared at him sadly. 

After helping the animals out and promising to do more in the morning, Annabeth softly said, “Hey, I’m sorry for freaking out back there.”

“It’s fine.”

“I just…” She shuddered. “I hate spiders.”

“Because of the Arachne story, right?”

She nodded, but didn’t elaborate. “Kinda owe you for that one.”

“Grover saved us in the end, though. He did the flying.”

He wasn’t as asleep as he looked, because from the corner he mumbled, “I was pretty amazing, wasn’t I?”

Something was tugging at Percy’s mind now. “Earlier in the day, when we IM’d camp, Luke told me you guys and him went way back. He assured me Grover wouldn’t fail this time. Nobody would be turned into a pine tree.”

They were quiet for some time, but finally Grover spoke. “I should’ve told you from the beginning. That’s why I needed to go on this quest, but if you knew, you’d never want me along,” he said, voice trembling.

Percy’s eyebrows knitted together. “What do you mean?” 

Grover didn’t seem ready to talk about it, so Annabeth rested her hand on his shoulder and took over. “When I told you about coming to camp, I said I wasn’t alone. Athena had given me two companions. One was Luke, and the second was…” Her voice faltered. “Thalia, daughter of Zeus.”

“Zeus broke the oath? Where is she, though?” Percy said, disbelieving. 

Annabeth lowered her eyes. She recounted the story of her, Luke, and Thalia and how the daughter of Zeus had made her last stance on half blood hill to save the others, only to be turned into a pine tree by Zeus. Now, the boundary was protected thanks to her.

“I was supposed to escort Thalia back to camp,” Grover sniffled. “ _ Only  _ her. We had to protect any children of the big three.” He glanced at Percy apprehensively. “And we still do. We knew Hades was after her, see, but I couldn't just leave Luke and Annabeth by themselves. I thought...I thought I could lead all three of them to safety. But I got scared and took some wrong turns. If I'd just been a little quicker..."

"No one blames you. Thalia didn't blame you, either,” Annabeth said.

“But her death is my fault. The counsel of cloven elders said so,” Grover said miserably.

“Because you wouldn’t leave two half bloods behind? That isn’t fair,” Percy said.

“He’s right,” Annabeth agreed. “Luke and I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. Don’t listen to them.”

He could still hear Grover sniffling in the dark. “I’m the lamest satyr ever.”

“You aren’t lame, Grover,” Annabeth insisted. “You are so courageous to be here right now, daring to go into the Underworld. I bet Percy’s glad you volunteered, right?” 

Annabeth kicked him in the shin, hard. 

“Yeah,” Percy said. He gave Annabeth a dirty look; the kick wasn’t necessary. “You’ve got the biggest heart of any satyr. And that’s why you’ll be the one to find Pan. I know it.” He remembered how Grover had said it was his dream.

With a deep sigh, Grover curled up and fell asleep. 

Annabeth nudged Percy slightly. “That was really nice. Didn’t know you had it in you.”

He cracked a small smile. “Hey, I’m nice. But anyway, I meant it.”

They rode in silence for a while, listening to the animals munching their food. Annabeth rubbed her beaded necklace that all campers had. A small ring caught his eye.

“Where’d you get that from?”

Annabeth frowned. “None of your business, ” she huffed, but then paused. “It was my father’s.” 

“You don’t have to tell me.”

She took a shaky breath. “No, it’s alright.”

So she told him. About her father mailing it to her two summers ago, and how it was symbolic to them since it was his keepsake from Athena, and had mailed it to her so she would come home. When she was done, it made Percy see her as more real, like something about her character had unraveled before him. 

“That doesn’t sound so bad.”

“The problem was, I believed him. I tried to go home for that school year, but my stepmom was the same as ever. She didn't want her kids to be in danger because of me. Monsters attacked. We argued a lot. I didn't even make it through winter break. I called Chiron and came right back to Camp Half-Blood."

“Well, I think you shouldn’t give up,” he told her. “Maybe write him a letter.”

“You don’t tell me what to do,” Annabeth said coldly, but she winced as if she regretted saying that. “Sorry. Shouldn’t be so mean to you. You don’t deserve it.”

Percy snorted. “We’re meant to be rivals, aren’t we?”

She turned to completely face him. “Our parents, you mean,” Annabeth corrected, “I guess I...well I only wanted to be the  _ perfect  _ daughter of Athena, y’know?” He nodded; he could relate to that. “But now that I think about it, it’s silly. We’ve been through a lot. Why should that be less meaningful than following a goddess’s rivalry when it only holds you back?”

“Pretty philosophical of you.”

She punched him playfully. “Hey. I’m offering you an olive branch and you’re not taking it?”

“Don’t worry. I am.”

Annabeth smiled at him, and for a moment he thought she looked really cute. But only a moment. “Good. Let’s start with…I don’t know, maybe something about yourself? You’re pretty mysterious to everyone, did you know? Nobody even knows your last name.”

“What’s a last name?”

“Like your second name. For me it’s Chase, so I’m Annabeth Chase. It’s from your mortal parent.”

Percy picked at a lone turnip. “Well my mother was killed when I was like, a few months old, so I’m just Percy.”

Annabeth slapped her forehead. “Wait, I’m stupid.” That was a first for her. “I assumed you knew her more or that your father told you your surname, I’m so sorry—”

“Sally Jackson,” he blurted out. “Her name was Sally Jackson. I pestered dad so many times he finally told me. Didn’t know that made me Percy Jackson. I really wish I remembered her, though. Is it weird missing someone you don’t know?” 

Annabeth shook her head. “Not at all.”

“She just sounded like she made this huge impact on dad. I mean, I always saw Amphitrite as my own mom, and she always loved me. But hearing about my mortal mother...she was probably amazing. Just kind of mad that she wished I’d stay mortal.”

“What do you mean?” Annabeth asked. Percy told her about the deal with Poseidon.

“If I become the hero Olympus wants me to be, I’ll join my father’s side, but as a god.”

Annabeth pursed her lips. “Because of The Great Prophecy.” Percy nodded, staring at his hands. He wasn’t surprised Annabeth knew.

“I’m tired of being a pawn, but I want to help my father and his realm. The sea is where I’m from, and I’ll always cherish it for what it’s done for me, even though some still whisper behind my back about possibly not becoming the hero they want me to be. I’ll prove them all wrong, I just find it so baffling that I have to help the one person who has fucked up so much of my life. But I have a feeling my mom would want me to become the best version of myself.”

She nudged him again. “If it means anything, I’ll prove them wrong alongside you...And Percy Jackson, I also think that your mom would be proud.” 

_ Yeah, and I also think we can be really good friends.  _

Even if his father didn’t approve, maybe Sally Jackson did. And maybe she was smiling at him right now.

_ Percy Jackson. _ It had a nice ring to it.

  
  


. . .

“Eldoris was right. I don’t see why I should protect these cruel humans,” Percy glowered.

“No kidding. The lion says these are animal smugglers. We have to free them!” Grover bellowed. 

When the cart stopped moving, the three went right to work. Grover put a blessing on them, and with a quick swipe of Riptide, the horse, lion, and horned creature were free. 

The striped horse bowed down to Percy.  _ Thank you, my lord.  _

The crate opened with a man poking out, and the horse bounded off into the street. The other two followed the horse’s example. He could already hear mortals screaming. 

Percy asked what the blessing was, and Grover said, “It’ll help them reach the wild safely. Meaning finding food, water, and whatever else they need.”

“Why can’t you bless us, as well?”

“It only works on wild animals.”

“Meaning it would only work on Percy,” Annabeth reasoned.

“Hey!”

“Kidding,” she said. “Let’s get out of here.”

  
  


. . .

Las Vegas was so hot, worse than Percy could imagine land being—but at least he had his friends. 

_ You’ll be betrayed by a friend,  _ the oracle’s voice murmured.  _ You won’t save what matters most in the end.  _

_ Shut up _ .

Finally they stumbled over to a place called the Lotus Hotel and Casino. Or at least that’s what Grover had translated. The man at the door gave them a card and showed them to a room, but they were so tired they didn’t even realize that they hadn’t  _ paid  _ for anything.

. . .

He was having too much fun for his own good. This place  _ had _ to be a trap, so after struggling to get Annabeth to listen to him, they both dragged Grover from the game he was playing.

“But I was about to reach level 157!” Grover wailed. 

“Come on, goat boy,” Annabeth grumbled.

“Are you sure you want to leave?” The doorman asked.

“We’re sure,” Percy and Annabeth said simultaneously.

When they stepped out into the dry heat, Percy noticed that the weather felt different. It was stormy, with lightning illuminating the dessert. He noticed that he also had Ares’ backpack again, despite having left it at the hotel.

A loose paper came flying towards Annabeth. Apparently it was important, because she snatched it up and visibly paled.

“You were right, Percy. The place trapped us in time. We’ve been there for five days.”

Grover’s eyes turned to goat slits. 

“How do you know?” Percy asked, horrified.

“It says here,” she showed him the paper that had lots of writing on it. At the top, it read June twenty. They had one day left. 

  
  


. . .

Annabeth stepped inside the “taxi” and gestured for them to follow.

“You accept casino cards?” She asked the driver.

The driver shrugged and swiped the card Annabeth had handed to him.

His machine started rattling. The lights flashed. Finally an infinity symbol came up next to the mortal money sign.

The driver’s mouth opened in shock. He looked back at them, eyes wide. "Where to...uh, Your Highness?"

"Los Angeles." Annabeth said before Percy did, sitting up a little straighter and giving him a smug look. She would’ve made his sister, Princess Rhode, proud. "Get us there fast, and you can keep the change."

Maybe she shouldn't have told him that.

  
  


. . .

On the road, Percy told them about his newest dream. There had been a hooded man who’d talked to the pit, but he couldn’t pinpoint where he’d heard the voice. Something in Annabeth clicked when he described the dream, but she wouldn’t let on.

He had a bad feeling that Hades wasn’t the one who had the bolt, though she insisted there had to be something that had gone wrong with the theft. 

“But if I already have the bolt, why would I be traveling to the Underworld?”

“To threaten Hades,” Grover suggested. “Maybe you can get your mom back, so you gotta bribe and blackmail him.”

It wasn’t like Percy hadn’t thought about saving his mother in the process, but someone confirming that it was possible made him anxious to try, even if no one had succeeded.

He had to try.

  
  


. . .

Percy was tired of chopping off heads. He watched as Crusty the giant turned to dust, then cut the ropes on the other beds, freeing Annabeth and Grover. They groaned and cursed at him.

“You look taller,” Percy said to Annabeth.

Annabeth huffed. “Very funny. Be faster next time.”

He roamed the waterbed store, and found the address to the Underworld that read D.O.A Studios. “Lucky us,” Percy muttered.

  
  


. . .

Charon looked them over, his glasses only showed their reflection, but he felt the man’s eyes burning through his chest. “How did you all die, may I ask?”

Percy nudged Grover.

"Oh," he said. "We drowned...in a bathtub."

“Big bathtub,” Charon mused. “I don't suppose you have coins for passage.”

"Oh, but we have coins." Percy set three golden drachmas on the counter, part of the stash he’d found in Crusty's office desk.

“I haven’t seen these in so long…” Charon’s fingers hovered greedily over the coins, but paused. “Are you a demigod, lad?”

“No,” Percy said. “I’m dead.”

Charon leaned forward and took a sniff. "You're not dead. I should've known. You're a godling."

"We have to get to the Underworld," Percy insisted. This time, he threw the whole sack of drachmas on his desk.

  
  


. . .

Annabeth liked dogs, apparently. To Grover’s and Percy’s astonishment, she managed to control Cerberus into not eating them. But that didn’t matter anymore, because they were chasing after Grover; his shoes had lost control and nothing stopped them from slowing down.

Grover veered sharply to the left. Annabeth was sprinting after him, Percy right on her heels. It was still a struggle for him to run fast. They found themselves inside a tunnel, with cavern walls surrounding them.

“Grover! Hold on to something!” he yelled, his voice echoing. Grover tried to do just that, but to no avail. Suddenly, the tunnel became darker and colder, like there was an evil presence. 

The tunnel widened into a huge dark cavern, and in the middle was a chasm the size of Poseidon’s palace. Grover was sliding straight toward the edge.

"Come on, Percy!" Annabeth yelled, tugging at his wrist.

"But that’s—"

"I know!" she shouted. "The place you described in your dream! But Grover's going to fall if we don't catch him!"

His hooves saved the day. By hitting a big rock, one shoe game loose, giving Grover the chance to use another rock like an anchor. They hauled him back up the slope. The other shoe came off, and they collapsed, exhausted.

Grover’s hands were bleeding. His eyes had gone slit-pupiled.

Before he opened his mouth to talk, Percy heard something—a deep whisper coming from the pit, getting louder by the minute.

Annabeth heard it too, now. He could see it in her eyes. "Tartarus. The entrance to Tartarus." Percy uncapped Anaklusmos.

The voice paused, then resumed the chant. It sounded even older than Ancient Greek. 

_ It’s magic. _

“We have to get out of here,” Annabeth said. 

After struggling forward, the cavern widened out into the Fields of Asphodel. 

The wind died. 

A wail of outrage echoed from deep in the tunnel. 

"What was that?" Grover panted, collapsing in the safety of a black tree. "One of Hades’ pets?"

Annabeth and Percy looked at one another. They understood, but were too scared to share. That terrified him more. 

  
  


. . .

In Hades’ throne room, everything was going worse than they’d expected. Percy’s mouth opened and closed until he found the right words. “But you took the master bolt.”

"Lies!" Hades was saying. The cavern rumbled. He rose from his throne, towering over them. "Your father may fool Zeus, boy, but I am not so stupid. I should have ratted you out to him all those years ago, because now I see Poseidon’s plan."

"His plan?"

"You were the thief on the winter solstice," he accused. "Your father thought to keep you his little secret. Oh, I see it now. He directed you into the throne room on Olympus, You took the master bolt and my helm. And to think you wouldn’t be such a disappointment. But now you have been forced into the open. You will be exposed as Poseidon's thief, and I will have my helm back!"

"But..." Annabeth spoke. He could practically see the wheels turning in her head. "Lord Hades, your helm of darkness is missing, too?"

"Do not play innocent with me, girl. You and the satyr have been helping this hero—coming here to threaten me in Poseidon's name. Does he think I can be blackmailed into supporting him?"

"No!" Percy cried. "Father didn't—I didn't—"

"I searched for the helm myself,” Hades snarled. “And when it was clear you were coming to me to deliver your  _ threat _ , I did not try to stop you."

"You didn't try to stop us? But—"

"Return my helm now, or I will stop death," Hades threatened. 

The skeletal warriors took a step forward, but instead of feeling scared, Percy was offended. He was used to others judging him unfairly, and frankly he’d had enough.

“You’re as bad as Zeus,” Percy growled. “You think I stole from you? I don’t even  _ have  _ the helm. I came for the stupid master bolt!”

“Which you already possess!” Hades shouted. "You came here with it, little fool, thinking you could threaten me!"

"But I didn't!"

"Open your pack, then."

A horrible feeling struck deep in his bones. The weight in his backpack, like rocks. It couldn't be....

He slung it off his shoulder and unzipped it. And there it was. The master bolt.

"Percy," Annabeth said. "How—"

"I-I don't know. I don't understand."

"I did not ask for Zeus's master bolt, but since it is here, you will yield it to me. I am sure it will make an excellent bargaining tool. And now...my helm. Where is it?"

It hit him. They had been played.

"Lord Hades, wait," he said. "This is all a mistake." 

"A mistake?" Hades roared."There is no mistake. Since I am nice, I can bargain with you, Perseus Jackson.” It was the first time he’d heard a god say his full name, but this wasn’t the place he’d wanted to hear it. “Deep down, I know that you want  _ her.” _

Hades created a ball of gold fire from his palm. It exploded on the steps in front of Percy, showing a woman with curly brown hair and kind eyes, all of her frozen in gold. She was the same woman from his dream. Could she be…

“Yes.” Hades smiled. “Your mother may have died, but I can grant her passage to the world of the living. Return my helm right now, and I will do just that. But if you displease me, that will change.”

Percy couldn’t speak, he couldn’t believe she was there, right in front of him. He reached out to touch her but was burned by the light. 

He remembered something his father had said _. “What belongs to the sea will always return.” _

The pearls.

Maybe he could even set his mom free…

"Ah yes, my brother and his  _ pearls.  _ Show them to me, Perseus.”

Percy brought out the pearls against his will.

"Only three," Hades chastised. "What a shame. You do realize each only protects a single person. Try to take your mother, then, little godling. And which of your friends will you leave behind to spend eternity with me? Go on. Choose. Or give me the backpack and accept my terms."

Percy looked at his friends, their faces grim. They all agreed they’d been set up. It was unfair.

"Decide, boy!" Hades yelled.

Then it turned into an arguing match from his friends about which one would stay. Percy couldn’t believe they wanted to sacrifice themselves, as if they hadn’t gone through so much together only to leave without one of them.

_ Please, Percy.  _ A voice rippled through his mind like a soft wind. Percy looked around and found his mother staring right at him.  _ Do not choose me. I already chose my fate. _

Tears sprung to his eyes.  _ No.You didn’t,  _ he replied.

Her eyes were sad, but still she smiled. It made him feel safe, somehow.  _ I did not listen to your father. But I don’t regret my decision. You were safe in the end. _

_ I can save you. We can be together again.  _

She extended out a hand as if wanting to touch his face.  _ My little boy, so big already. You will become one of the greatest heroes of all, but this is not the way. Everyone dies, but that is what makes life precious. _

He could barely see through his tears.  _ I don’t want you to go. _

_ I will never leave you. And someday, you can join me. It isn’t so bad.  _

Percy wiped his eyes and made his decision. He kept a pearl and handed Annabeth and Grover the other two. 

Hades’ smug look vanished. 

He turned to his mother. “I’ll stop the war. I know you’ll be with me in my journey.” Then he addressed Hades. “Don’t worry, uncle, I’ll make things right.”

On Percy’s count, they smashed the pearls, leaving the Underworld behind and turning up in the ocean.

  
  


. . .

A small boat picked them up and left them on the beach, much to Percy’s dismay.

"Percy..." Annabeth said. "I'm sorry about your mom. I'm so sorry...."

He pretended not to hear her. Percy felt as if talking about his mother would make him start bawling like a little kid.

_ You shall fail to save what matters most in the end.  _

That’s what the stupid prophecy meant. He wanted to curl up, rid himself of responsibilities. 

To change the subject, Percy clarified what they’d just learned, reminding them of the oracle’s words. 

Grover shook his head, mystified. "But who would be that sneaky? Who would want war that bad?"

Percy stopped in his tracks, looking down the beach. "Gee, let me think."

There he was, waiting for them, a metallic-like stick propped on his shoulder. His motorcycle—or at least Percy thought it was called a motorcycle—rumbled beside him, the lights turning the sand red.

  
  


. . .

He couldn’t believe he’d agreed to fight the war god, but here they were on the surf trading blows.

He remembered what Annabeth had said before he turned to fight Ares. _ “This is a reconciliation. Athena and Poseidon together.”  _ She gave him her camp necklace. 

Percy could hear the beads clinking as he moved around. 

Ares roared with laughter. "Oh, little hero. I’m just playing with you."

The waves were hitting Percy in the back now. Ares was up to his thighs, wading after him.

Percy felt the familiar rhythm of the sea, the waves growing larger as the tide rolled in, but he didn’t need big waves. He thought of the calm before a storm. The water behind him receded. He was holding back the tide by force of will, but he knew it wouldn’t hold for long. Even the sea surrendered to its master after a while.

Tension was building, Percy could feel it.

Ares came toward, grinning confidently. Percy lowered his blade, as if too exhausted to go on.

_ Wait for it _ .

The sea seemed to whisper behind him, excited.

The pressure now was almost lifting Percy off his feet. Ares raised his sword. Percy released the tide and jumped, rocketing straight over Ares on a wave. He’d never done something like that before, but he had to admit, it felt pretty sweet.

A six-foot wall of water smashed Ares full in the face. He emerged only a few seconds later, cursing and spluttering. Percy landed behind him elegantly with the smallest of splashes. He fainted his sword towards Ares’ head, but he was disoriented, so the god didn’t anticipate the trick and also slashed upwards to block the hit.

Percy changed direction, lunged to the side, and stabbed Riptide right through Ares’ foot. The roar that followed made Hades’ earthquake look like a minor event. Percy’s father wasn’t the only Earthshaker in town, after all. The very sea was blasted back from Ares, leaving a wide circle of sand.

Ichor flowed across the sand. He roared and lunged for Percy again, not giving up. But Percy waved a hand and a wall of water materialized between him and the war god. 

Ares lowered his sword.

"You have made an enemy, godling," he spat through clenched teeth. "You have sealed your fate. Every time you raise your blade in battle, every time you hope for success, you will feel my curse. Beware, Prince Perseus. Beware."

His body began to glow.

Percy knew better than to look directly.

When the water receded, what was left was a dark helmet. Hades’ helm. Percy heard leathery wings and knew the furies were watching.

He threw the helm to them and ordered for Hades to call off the war.

  
  


. . .

Taking an airplane was as horrible as he’d imagined and more. Confronting Zeus for the first time, in Percy’s mind, sounded even scarier. Olympus was beautiful, sure, but he had other matters at hand than to talk to minor gods. 

In the throne room, which was bigger than any room he had ever seen, sat his father in giant form. Staring at his wrinkled green eyes and loud shirt, Percy realized how much he had missed him. Next to him, with a fancy suit and trimmed beard, sat the one immortal he hated the most. 

Zeus. 

The two brothers had been in an argument, but when they heard Percy’s footsteps, all conversation stopped. 

As he drew near, the air crackled, smelling of ozone.

Percy made sure to kneel by Poseidon’s feet first. “Father.”

As expected, Zeus spoke. “Should you not address the master of this house first, you insolent boy?” 

Percy leveled his stare. “I speak to my father first.”

Poseidon held out a hand. “Peace, Brother. It is only right.”

“You’re still going to keep this bastard?” Zeus asked, menacingly. “After our sacred oath?”

“I have already admitted my wrongdoing—and remember, the sea will never forget how you also broke the oath  _ and  _ still killed an innocent woman.” The tension sparked again.

Wrongdoing.

He’d heard it thrown his way plenty of times, but never from his father. Was that all he was? A mistake?

“After I found out he was, in fact, alive, I still spared him. Even when he went into my domain for the second time...bah! Should’ve blasted him out of the sky,” Zeus grumbled.

Percy’s eyes turned into slits, he clenched and unclenched his jaw. Of course, Poseidon noticed. He gave him a pointed look as if to not say anything. 

“And risk destroying your precious bolt?” Poseidon asked calmly. But he too, was a thin line away from snapping. “Percy, look at me.” Percy did as he was told, staring into the god’s eyes. Even  _ he _ never figured what color they were, exactly. “Address Lord Zeus, son.”

So he told Zeus everything, just as it had happened. Percy took out the master bolt, which began sparking in the Sky God's presence, and laid it at his feet.

There was a long silence, broken only by the crackle of the hearth fire.

Zeus opened his palm. The lightning bolt flew into it. He accepted Percy’s words as truth, but not without questioning Ares’ betrayal.

Poseidon and Zeus looked at each other. They had an intense discussion in Ancient Greek, but it was so quick that Percy only caught one word.

Father.

“We need to prepare—” Poseidon suggested, still speaking Ancient Greek, but Zeus cut him off. Poseidon tried to argue. Zeus held up his hand angrily.

"We will speak of this no more," Zeus said. 

He rose and looked at Percy. His expression softened a bit. "You have done me a service, boy. Few heroes could have accomplished as much."

"I had help, sir. Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase—"

"To show you my thanks, I shall spare your life. I do not trust you, Perseus. I do not like what your arrival means for the future of Olympus. But for the sake of peace in the family, I shall let you live."

Percy felt like summoning a wave and drowning him slowly. Unfortunately, he couldn’t die, nor was there water around that Percy could use. 

_ For the sake of peace in the family.  _ As if he were some peace activist. "Um...thank you, sir."

He warned Percy about flying again, and with a clap of thunder and a blinding flash of lightning, Zeus was gone.

  
  


. . .

“Dad...what was in the pit?”

Poseidon regarded him. “I think you know.”

“My grandfather,” Percy said. He didn’t dare voice Kronos’ name, even in Olympus.

His father gripped his trident and nodded. 

“He’s healing. He's coming back."

Poseidon shook his head. "From time to time, Kronos has stirred. He enters men's nightmares and breathes evil thoughts. He wakes monsters from the depths. But to suggest he could rise from Tartarus is another thing."

"That's what he intends, Father. That's what he said."

They were silent for a long time.

“Your uncle has closed discussion on this matter. You have completed your quest, child. That is all you need to do. For now.”

“So does that mean I don’t need to train on land anymore?” he asked hopefully.

“I’m afraid that you still do. For the summer, at least.”

“But that isn’t fair! I can—”

“You are at the prime age. Remember that you were always meant to be on dry land,” Poseidon said gently.

Percy lowered his head. He wasn’t as upset as he seemed, but still. He felt like staying on land for the summers would make him lose part of himself, somehow. “I saw mom in the Underworld.” 

The god’s eyes grew sad, something that was rare to see. “I never told you much, but no doubt she didn’t let you bring her back.” Percy nodded, blinking back tears. “That was one of the most exceptional things about her. She was a queen amongst women, your mother. I had not met such a mortal woman in a thousand years. Still...I am sorry you were born, Percy. Like your mother, I have brought you a hero's fate, and a hero's fate is never anything but tragic."

Percy blinked a few times again and cleared his throat. “Glad I’m a mistake to you, as well.” His voice sounded shaky, even to his own ears.

“Hey—” Percy didn’t let the god finish, because he was already walking away. “Perseus.”

He turned around. 

There was a different light in Poseidon’s eyes, a fiery kind of pride. "You did well, Percy Jackson. Do not misunderstand me. Whatever else you do, know that you are mine. You are a true son of the Sea God."

  
  


. . .

Back at camp, everyone was happy the questers had returned alive. All except the Ares cabin, who gave Percy poisonous looks. They’d probably never forgive him about embarrassing Ares’ honor twice, but he didn’t care. Grover, thanks to the quest, got his searcher’s licence to find Pan. It made Percy happy.

“Let us all congratulate our heroes, who have succeeded in stopping a civil war!” Chiron praised.

Cheers rung out. 

Percy remembered how he’d hoped to have a good summer at least, and looking at Annabeth and Grover’s smiling faces and everyone willing to talk to him and not just see him as some royal, he felt like his wish did come true, in a way.

  
  


. . .

_ You shall be betrayed by one who calls you friend.  _

It was Luke. He was the lighting thief, but too late for Percy, because he was dying from pit scorpion venom. He cried for help, but knew that no one would hear.

The last thing he remembered was two nymphs dragging him along, and then everything turned black.

  
  


. . .

Percy woke up sipping something that tasted like sweet algae tea. Nectar.

“You idiot!” Annabeth cried, but she sounded glad that he was awake.

He wasn’t so glad to wake up, though. Apart from feeling like his insides were still burning—even with Chiron’s medicinal abilities—Percy felt a sour taste in his mouth. He couldn’t believe Luke had been the lightning thief and was working with Kronos. 

Luke, who’d helped him out at camp and didn’t treat him differently just because of his heritage. Percy supposed Luke  _ did  _ become a friend to him. That’s what stung the most, but not as much as it probably did for Annabeth, who had known him for so long.

Percy told them what had happened, but to his surprise, they didn’t look so angry, just resigned. They probably had expected it, maybe. It made Percy feel worse. 

That motherfucker. 

Luke didn’t even care about the family he’d left behind.

  
  


. . .

Grover had parted to go on his search for Pan, Annabeth would return to her father, much to his surprise. And Percy...well, what belonged to the sea would always return.

"When I get back next summer," she said, "we'll hunt down Luke. We'll ask for a quest, but if we don't get approval, we'll sneak off and do it anyway. Agreed?"

"Sounds like a plan worthy of Athena."

She held out her hand. Percy shook it.

"Take care, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said. "Keep your eyes open down there. Under the sea." 

"You too, Wise Girl."

. 

.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mmkay and the first part is done! What do y’all think? I’ll update the next chapter next Sunday this time. Also, pls go check out Aqua’s artwork (@aquacanis on tumblr) it’s so beautiful and just🥺 give it some love!
> 
> Kudos and comments are appreciated😌


	4. beyond the sea

_A year later._

.

Percy’s braid whipped around as he turned from block to block. All he was sure about was that he needed to find a cyclops named Tyson and get away from the giant chasing him. 

That’s what his father had said, anyway. _“Before you go to camp, I’ll transport you to New York. Find a cyclops named Tyson; he’s important.”_

Poseidon had given him a small piece of coral that glowed brighter every time he got closer to said cyclops, but New York was bigger than he’d thought. And it was monster infested.

Percy felt heat from his back and dodged a fireball just in time. “You may have killed my brethren, but you can’t run from me, Perseus!” the giant roared.

_I can try._

Percy ducked into a small alley, the coral was brighter now, just a few more minutes…

And he ran into a dead end. Great.

Percy whirled to face the giant. Finding a cyclops was the least of his worries. The monster chuckled. “Can’t escape me now, can you?”

He readied another fireball and threw it with superhuman force. But it never hit Percy. Someone had stopped the ball. The coral was so bright, it radiated heat.

Tyson.

Percy couldn’t see him well since he had his back to Percy, but the cyclops’ clothing was torn and dirty. He probably lived in this alley from the looks of it. “Bad giant!” Tyson yelled as he threw the fire back at the monster, who wailed for the last time as he disintegrated on the spot. 

“Tyson!”

He turned around, and—yep, he had one eye, though it was hard to make out. His face was grimy, and when he smiled, yellow teeth popped into view. “You know my name?” 

“Yeah,” Percy said, tucking a loose strand behind his ears, like he always did when he was nervous. “I came to find you. They ordered me to go to camp with you. You know, Camp Half-Blood?”

The cyclops gazed at him questionably. “What is that? Are you a friend?”

“...Yes. I’m a friend. Um, do you know of, like, the gods and stuff?” Tyson shrugged. “Well, we’ll go to a safe place. To train.” 

Percy still had no idea why he had to take a cyclops there or how he’d get to camp now, but he supposed he had to go with the flow.

“Oh. Okay, friend!” Tyson exclaimed. He sounded young, but still towered over Percy. “What is your name?” 

“Percy. Percy Jackson. Now come on, let’s get out of here.”

  
  


. . .

They bumped into Ananbeth. 

Literally.

Annabeth stumbled a bit, but quickly got to her feet, as if she were too busy for falling—which, knowing her, she probably was. “Percy? What are you doing here?”

“I could ask the same thing about you.”

She didn’t look great. Her curly hair was tangled and full of leaves. Her face was filthy, with lots of small cuts. She had a wild look in her eyes, like she was on the lookout for anything. But still, Percy had missed her more than he’d like to admit.

“Heading back to camp, duh.” Then Annabeth glanced at Tyson, just now realizing he was there. “Where’d you find _him?”_ she demanded.

“I was chased by some cannibal giants. Got rid of two, but one cornered me. Tyson saved my life. He’s a friend. Right, big guy?”

Annabeth looked surprised. “He can talk?”

“I talk,” Tyson admitted. “You are pretty.”

“Ah! Gross!” Annabeth stepped away from him.

“What’s your deal? He’s just a baby cyclops,” Percy said.

“Maybe to _you_ —”

“Look. We’re going back to camp. You wanna help us or what?” 

She sighed, as if resigned to her fate. “Come on, then.”

  
  


. . .

Percy was starting to hate cars. Especially ones driven by the Grey Sisters, topped with being squished next to a cyclops and a very angry Annabeth. 

He gave Annabeth a _why-did-you-do-this-to-me_ look.

“Oh I’m _so_ sorry, Your Majesty. But guess what? This is the fastest way to Long Island. So _deal with it.”_

Annabeth claimed they were wise, but where she got that idea he didn’t have a clue. They were all about to fall off a bridge, after all.

“Yes, wise.” One of them grinned through the mirror. She had the eye _and_ the tooth. But she wasn’t driving. 

“Every street in Manhattan,” the second one said, still hitting the third sister while driving. 

“The location you seek,” the third added.

Immediately she was hit by both of her sisters from both sides while telling her to shut up. 

“Huh?” Percy said. “What location do I seek—”

“Nothing!” Sister Number Three said. “You’re right, young prince. It’s nothing.”

“Tell me.”

“ _No!”_ they all screeched.

“Last time we told, eye tossed in a lake,” the one with the tooth and eye said.

“Years to find it again!” moaned the sister who was driving. “And speaking of that—‘ive it back!” 

“No!” yelled the sister in question.

The driving sister whacked the other on the head. There was a sickening _pop_ , and the eye flew off her face. She fumbled to catch it, but instead it batted against the back of her hand, landing on—

Percy’s lap. He jumped so hard he hit the ceiling and the eyeball rolled away. Immediately the sisters started looking for the eye, not caring about driving anymore.

“There, by your foot,” Annabeth said. “Don’t step on it! Pick it up!”

“I am _not_ touching that thing.”

The taxi slammed against the guardrail and skidded along with a horrible grinding noise. 

“You’re such a baby! Get the eye!” 

“ _You_ do it, if you want to lecture me about being a baby!” Percy snapped back.

“Going to be sick!” Tyson warned.

“Annabeth, let Tyson use your backpack!”

“Are you crazy? Just get the eye!”

They hurtled down the bridge, going faster than humanly possible. The Grey Sisters screeched and pummeled each other and cried out for their eye.

At last Percy steeled his nerves. 

_Somebody’s gotta do it._

He ripped a piece of cloth from his shirt which was already scorched from the giants and picked up the eyeball.

“Nice boy!” one of them exclaimed, as if she somehow knew Percy had her missing eye. “Give it back!”

“Not until you explain,” he told her. “What were you talking about, the location I seek?”

“No time!” Sister Number Two cried. “Accelerating!”

Sure enough, trees and cars were now zipping by in a gray blur. 

“Percy,” Annabeth warned, “they can’t—” 

“First they have to tell me,” he insisted. “Or I’ll open the window and throw the eye out.”

“No!” the Grey Sisters wailed. “Too dangerous!”

“I’m rolling down the window.” He gestured for Annabeth to roll down the window, since Percy didn’t know how. 

“Wait!” the Grey Sisters screamed. “30, 31, 75, 12!”

  
  


. . .

When they arrived at camp, there were campers all around the border patrol, and they seemed to be fighting something. At a closer look, Percy realized they were fighting mechanical bulls _._

He hated this already. Percy hated a lot of things, but he didn’t care. Clarisse was leading the small army of demigods, but she wasn’t doing well. 

_Maybe that's why dad wanted me to bring Tyson,_ Percy thought as he watched the cyclops punch a bull and make a crater where its snout used to be.

“BAD COW!” he yelled, balling his fists. The automaton stopped working.

“And the other one?” Percy asked Annabeth. She pointed towards Clarisse, who had impaled it on the back leg and now it was starting to deactivate. 

Clarisse pulled off her helmet and marched toward them.

“You—ruin— _everything!”_ she yelled at Percy. “I had it under control!”

He was too stunned to answer. Sure, Clarisse hated him now, but why would she not want help, at least?

Annabeth grumbled, “Good to see you too, Clarisse.”

“Argh!” Clarisse screamed. “Don’t ever, EVER try saving me again!”

Annabeth reminded her of the wounded campers, which made her demeanor soften. “I’ll be back,” she growled, then trudged off to check the damage.

Percy stared at Tyson. “Thanks for saving me again.”

Tyson only smiled kindly. “You are a friend.” He said it like it was the simplest thing. “Are you a demigod?”

“Yeah,” Percy said, surprised. “Unfortunately. I’m the son of Poseidon. He kind of adopted me and made me a prince.”

“Careful. We can’t afford a bigger ego,” Annabeth teased. He stuck out his tongue.

“Oh.” Tyson frowned. “But then—”

Clarisse came back over and wiped the soot off her forehead. “Jackson, come on.” Ever since he’d told the camp that his surname was Jackson, most people had preferred to call him by it, for some reason. “We need to carry the wounded back to the Big House, let Tantalus know what’s happened.”

“Tantalus?” Percy asked.

“The activities director,” Clarisse said impatiently.

“Chiron is the activities director. And where’s Argus? He’s head of security. He should be here.”

“A lot has changed since you’ve left,” she said gravely. “It’s all because of _that_.” Clarisse pointed at the big pine tree that used to be Thalia. 

The tree should’ve been green and healthy, but now, its needles were yellow. The ones that were dead littered the brittled grass. In the center of the trunk, was a small puncture hole, oozing green sap.

Percy’s heart froze. Of course. The camp was in danger because Thalia’s tree was dying.

Someone had poisoned it.

  
  


. . .

Chiron was packing his things when they got to the Big House. He was leaving until someone else took the blame for the tree’s poisoning, and Annabeth wasn’t taking the news well. 

It was all because of Kronos. Luke probably had something to do with it, as well. 

The traitor.

The camp was dying, there was no way to tell what poison Thalia’s tree had, Chiron had been fired, and Percy felt utterly helpless.

“Swear that you will protect Percy,” Chiron told Annabeth. “Swear it upon the river styx.”

“I—I swear on the River Styx that I will protect Percy.” 

Thunder rumbled. 

Chiron said his farewells, and after warning Percy about Kronos, he clip clopped away.

Tyson called after him, “Pony! Don’t go!”

The cyclops started bawling almost as bad as Annabeth. Percy tried consoling him, but it sounded fake even to him. 

The conch horn blew from outside. Dinner time.

  
  


. . .

Conversation faltered when Percy, Annabeth, and Tyson walked in.

“Well, well. If it isn’t Peter Johnson and his...friends,” Mr. D drawled. 

He gritted his teeth. “It’s Percy Jackson.”

Mr. D took a sip from his Diet Coke, or whatever it was called, and shrugged. Next to him, where Chiron usually sat, was someone Percy had never seen before—a pale, thin man in an orange jumpsuit. He had blue shadows under his eyes, dirty fingernails, and badly cut gray hair. 

Tantalus.

Percy remembered the story now. The man from the Underworld who couldn’t eat or drink, even when he was surrounded by water and stood next to a fruit tree. 

“This boy,” Dionysus told him, “you need to watch. Poseidon’s bastard prince, you know.”

“Ah!” Tantalus nodded. “That one.” Then he addressed Percy, smiling coldly. “I am Tantalus. On special assignment here until my Lord Dionysus decides otherwise. And you, Perseus Jackson, I hope you don’t cause any more trouble.”

“Trouble?” Percy demanded.

Tantalus grinned. “Yes. Quite a ruckus last summer, I hear.”

Percy fumed internally. As if _he_ was guilty because the gods started a civil war.

Dionysus told Percy to sit down, and as much as he hated the guy, Mr. D was immortal. However much Percy liked dolphins, being turned into one wasn’t very high on his list. 

“Come on, Tyson,” he grumbled.

“Oh, no,” Tantalus said. “The monster stays here. We must decide what to do with it.”

“Him,” Percy snapped. “His name is Tyson.”

Tantalus raised an eyebrow. “I see you are quite fond of him already.” A few people snickered.

Percy insisted that Tyson saved the camp, but everyone was still uneasy.

“Hmm,” Mr. D said. “Still, we must decide the creature’s fate.”

Tyson looked at Percy, his big eye filled with fear. 

Percy quickly promised Tyson that he’d find him a good place to sleep.

Tyson nodded. “I believe you. You are my friend.”

That made him feel worse.

  
  


. . .

After Tantalus had done the announcements, everybody gasped.

Tantalus scooted away from Tyson in surprise. Percy could only stare in disbelief at the bright green light above Tyson’s head—a holographic image of a trident. 

Well, shit.

He knew that many cyclopes in his father’s forges were actually Percy’s brothers, and there was the story about Polyphemus...but he’d never thought that Poseidon would actually tell him to escort one that was so closely related to him. Why did the god want to claim him at camp, anyway?

There was a moment of awed silence.

Being claimed was a rare and almost sacred event. But now, everyone started laughing except Annabeth and other friends of Percy.

“Well! I think we know where to put the beast now.” Tantalus whipped his head from Percy to Tyson. “By the gods! I can see the family resemblance!”

Tyson didn’t seem bothered. He was too busy swiping at the trident to realize what they were saying. 

But Percy understood. 

He had an official younger brother, a cyclops to be exact.

_Then._

Sally was having a normal day—or as normal as it could get on a hot Friday afternoon after working for six hours and being six months pregnant—when she felt a familiar sea breeze come from the dingy window. 

The breeze swept harder across the room until it materialized into—

“Poseidon?” Sally said in disbelief. “What’re you doing here?”

He smiled as if they’d never parted ways in December. His eyes twinkled with that old light she had fallen in love with. “Came to visit you and my son, of course.”

Poseidon moved closer to her and touched her bump gently. Warm energy built up in his palm, making her sigh, all the stress and pent up emotions leaving her. 

“He’s going to be a healthy boy, your son,” Poseidon murmured.

“ _Our_ son,” she corrected, but instead of giving her his usual grin, he stiffened.

Sally brushed a stray hair from his face. “Why are you really here? You said you couldn’t visit me anymore.” 

He nodded, expecting this from her. “I came to warn you.”

Sally tried not to feel disappointed.

“When this child is born, you have to hide.”

“Well, I know that, but—”

“No, Sal,” Poseidon said, shaking his head. “You don’t understand the magnitude of the situation. My brother suspects.”

Sally scrunched up her eyebrows. “You mean Zeu—”

The god clamped a hand over her mouth. “Do not say his name. Names have power.”

She grasped his hand and lowered it from her mouth, but didn’t let go. “Okay.” Sally took a shaky breath. “So your brother suspects.”

“Yes.”

“Does he know who I am?”

“I’m not sure. I am risking much being here, but you have to hear it from me. When the baby is born, you will need to hide. Do not go into his domain. Do not share anything about me with anyone you don’t trust completely. You’re smart, Sally. Be on the lookout, is all.”

Sally nodded slowly, comprehending what he’d just said. “I...I’ll try, and, I just want to let you know...that I already have a name for him,” she said, caressing her baby bump. “I know you’ll think it won’t be appropriate for him, especially in the, ah, current situation. But I think otherwise.” She paused for a second. “Perseus.” 

Poseidon’s eyes widened and he shook his head vehemently. “Sal, do you not understand? Names have _power—_ ”

“All the more reason to name him Perseus, then! He is one of the only Greek heroes who had a happy ending. I do _not_ want a tragic life for my baby.”

Poseidon looked pained, like he wasn’t sure what to say. “...But do you _know_ what Perseus means?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “To destroy. With a prophecy looming over his head about possibly being the one to _destroy_ Olympus, how will that be good?”

“According to the prophecy, he’ll either destroy the gods or destroy your enemy. But I have a feeling it’ll bring luck to my child either way,” Sally said simply. “It’s a powerful name. Like he will be, one day.”

“But the prophecy doesn’t say he’ll destroy the enemy, it just says it’ll preserve or raze Olympus. If you name him Perseus, the gods will have more reason to want to kill him.”

“But you won’t let them.”

“No, I will not let my family kill my child, but that isn’t exactly reassuring that they won’t do it! Even if they didn’t kill him first, they’d still be nervous about him. They wouldn’t trust the boy _or_ me.” 

Poseidon’s skin started glowing from his rising of temper, but Sally put a hand on his arm, making him sigh in defeat like the ocean surrendering to the power of the trident.

“They _will_ trust him. He’ll earn their trust. I know it.” 

“...And you are decided.”

“I am decided,” she agreed.

Poseidon nodded gravely; he knew not to argue with her. They both gazed down at the baby bump. “Then Perseus it is.”

  
  


_Now._

The next week felt like torture to Percy. These days, most people only stared and wouldn’t talk to him. Or if they did, it would fall flat.

Percy knew why: Tyson.

He was feared all around camp, except from the Hephaestus kids who taught him about forging. But Tyson seemed to be enjoying everything in general. Especially the fact that Percy was his brother.

He’d gush about it for an entire day, and Percy would only muster a halfhearted reply. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to have a younger sibling; Percy’s biggest wish had been to someday _be_ the big brother himself, but he felt...ashamed.

Like he’d become the laughingstock of demigods. And he knew it wasn’t right, because Tyson was a baby and he’d probably lived as an orphan his whole life, but Percy couldn’t help but feel angry at Poseidon. Now everyone saw it as a joke to be his son.

All these thoughts kept circling around through his head as he and Annabeth discussed their partnership to the chariot race that Tantalus had insisted on prioritizing instead of border patrol.

“Hey,” Annabeth said gently. “Stop thinking about what the others say. It isn’t your fault you have a monster for a brother.”

“He’s not my brother!” Percy snapped. “And he’s not a monster, either!”

Annabeth raised her eyebrows. “Don’t get mad at me! And he _is_ a monster. The difference is that he’s not exactly like...the others.”

“What are you even talking about? Cyclopes aren’t that bad. They probably made your dagger,” he pointed out.

This angered her, for some reason. Her ears turned pink. He had a feeling she wanted to say something but was holding back. “Just forget it,” Annabeth grumbled. “Now, the chariot needs—

“You’re treating him like he’s the devil’s spawn. But he saved my life.”

Annabeth threw her things down and stood up. “Maybe you should design a chariot with _him,_ then.”

“Fine!”

“Fine!” 

  
  


. . . 

He had dreams about Grover. 

_Trapped._

_Wedding._

_Help._

In one of them, Grover did talk to him. Something about an empathy link, he’d said.

He was in a cave, and he had a wedding dress on.

“You have to help me! No time! I’m stuck in this cave. On an island in the sea.”

“Where?” Percy asked.

“I don’t know exactly! I went to Florida and turned left.”

“What? How did you—”

“It’s a trap!” Grover said. “It’s the reason no satyr has ever returned from this quest. He’s a shepherd, Percy! And he has it. Its nature magic is so powerful it smells just like the great god Pan! The satyrs come here thinking they’ve found him, and they get trapped and eaten by Polyphemus!

Oh no.

If Grover was with Polyphemus, he had to go find him. Now.

  
  


. . .

The next morning was the chariot race. Percy did partner with Tyson, though the cyclops did most of the designing while Percy would drive. 

Before it started, Percy approached Annabeth and told her about his dream. Of course she thought it was a distraction.

“No it’s not!”

“As if Grover would stumble upon the one thing that would save camp,” she muttered.

“You’re insane to not believe me about Grover being in trouble. Polyphemus trapped him.”

She hesitated. “Percy, an empathy link is so hard to do. It’s likely it was just a dream.”

“We gotta speak to the oracle, then.”

Annabeth frowned. “We’ll talk later, okay? But first I’m going to beat your ass.”

“In your dreams.”

  
  


. . .

It turned out that the weird pigeons were Stymphalian birds, therefore attacking the campers, and the two demigods had no choice but to team up.

Percy urged the horses into a gallop toward the big house, ignoring Clarisse's comment about being cowards.

Chiron’s repulsive music was their only chance. They tore through his room until finally they found the boom box and the round metal disc called a CD and ran back outside.

Down at the track, the chariots were in flames. Wounded campers ran in every direction, with birds shredding their clothes and pulling out their hair, while Tantalus chased breakfast pastries around the stands, occasionally yelling that it was all under control.

Percy pulled to the finish line so the sound would get the birds more easily, but he didn’t know how to play the music in the first place.

“Ugh, why are you even trying? Let me!” Annabeth called out, shoving him aside.

“I’m sorry, I’ve never exactly done this before!” 

“Just shut up.” She pressed a button, and horrible music trickled out of the box.

  
  


. . .

The birds were gone, but they had already done much damage. Tantalus didn’t care about any of this, because he came forward and awarded the laurels to a very stunned Clarisse.

Technically, she had won.

He turned to Percy and smiled. “And now a punishment for these troublemakers for disrupting the race with their bad chariot driving.”

It sounded so ridiculous to Percy, that he couldn’t help but blurt out, “Why don’t you go chase a donut?”

Tantalus sneered at him. “I see. His Majesty and company will be sentenced to kitchen patrol, then.”

  
  


. . .

“If it makes you feel better, that creep deserved it,” Annabeth told him.

“Yeah. He did.”

In the other sink, Tyson was happily plunging his hands into the lava and scrubbing the dishes. At that moment, he wished to be a cyclops.

“I’ve also been thinking…”

“Mm. That’s strange,” he said, grinning.

Annabeth flipped him off. “I’ve been _thinking_ about Grover.” Percy must’ve looked relieved that the thought of Grover _had_ gone through her mind, because she nodded. “Apart that he’s in trouble, it’s possible he’s found the Golden Fleece.”

“Are you serious?” 

Annabeth scraped a plateful of death-bird bones into the lava. “Percy, remember the Gray Sisters? They said they knew the location of the thing you seek. It can’t be a coincidence.”

Percy caught on. “If we retrieved the fleece, it could cure the tree.” 

She nodded. “And not only that, but strengthen the camp borders! We _have_ to ask for a quest.”

“And while we’re at it, we rescue Grover. It’s perfect!”

“ _Too_ perfect. What if it’s a trap?” There she was again with her morbid thinking. But Annabeth was right, if Kronos was behind this, he could fool them easily. 

“We don’t have a choice. Are you helping me save Grover, or not?” 

She glanced back at Tyson and lowered her voice. “You know what we’re getting into, don’t you? Polyphemus may be your brother as well, but he is the worst of the cyclopes. And he’s in one of the most dangerous places. The Sea of Monsters.”

“Hey. I’m a sea prince. That’s my territory. I’ve got some family there, as well. How hard can it be?”

Annabeth pursed her lips. “Alright. But first we tell Tantalus. He’ll say no. But I think I know how to make it so he can’t refuse.”

  
  


. . .

The flames in the camp fire burned bigger and brighter when Percy mentioned that he and Annabeth knew how to save the camp.

Tantalus scoffed, “Please. The Sea of Monsters? That isn’t an exact location. You wouldn’t know where to look.”

“I would,” he said.

“You would?” Annabeth whispered to Percy.

He nodded.

 _30, 31, 75, 12._ At least that’s what the Gray Sisters had said. He understood now.

Percy repeated the numbers.

“Interesting,” Tantalus said with mock concern. “Thank you for sharing those meaningless numbers.”

“They’re sailing coordinates.” Then he glanced sheepishly at Annabeth. “I, ah...my tutor Eldoris taught me about it some time ago. Forgot to mention it.”

Even she looked impressed, along with everyone else. “He’s right. The Gray Sisters gave us coordinates. 30 degrees, 31 minutes north, 75 degrees, 12 minutes west. That’d be somewhere off the coast of Florida, in the Sea of Monsters. We need a quest!”

“Wait a—” 

Tantalus didn’t get to finish, because everyone started chanting, “We need a quest!”

The flames rose higher. 

Tantalus kept insisting that it wasn’t necessary. 

“WE NEED A QUEST! WE NEED A QUEST!”

His eyes blazed with anger. “Alright! You brats want a quest?”

“YES!”

“Very well,” he agreed. “I shall authorize a champion to undertake this perilous journey, to retrieve the Golden Fleece and bring it back to camp. Or die trying.”

Percy looked at Annabeth excitedly. They were really doing this. 

“I will allow our champion to consult the Oracle!” Tantalus announced. “And choose two companions for the journey. And I think the choice of champion is obvious.”

Tantalus’ eyes rested on Percy and Annabeth for a second. He looked ready to burn them alive.

But instead of allowing Percy to go, he chose...Clarisse.

  
  


. . .

Back in cabin three, Tyson paused with tinkering the small metal Beckendorf had given him.

“You will go anyway?” he asked absentmindedly.

“I’m not sure. It would be very hard,” Percy admitted.

“I will help my brother.”

“No. I—uh, can’t ask you to do that, big guy. Too dangerous.”

Tyson looked down at his assembled scraps. 

“What are you doing?” Percy asked.

Tyson didn’t answer. Instead he started whimpering. “Annabeth doesn’t like cyclopes. You…don’t want me along?”

“Oh, that’s not it,” Percy said halfheartedly. “Annabeth likes you. Really.”

Percy didn’t believe his own words, and, looking at his younger brother’s tearful expression, Tyson didn’t either. 

Tyson lay down on his bed and turned toward the wall, showing his back. He had strange scars, like someone had slashed at him.

“Daddy always cared for m-me,” Tyson sniffled. “Now…I think he was mean to have a cyclops boy. I should not have been born.”

“Don’t talk that way! Poseidon claimed you, didn’t he? So…he must care about you…a lot.…”

His voice trailed off as he thought about all those years Tyson had lived on the streets of New York.

_What am I saying?_

Poseidon abandoned Tyson in the streets. How likely was it that that could’ve been Percy? But since he was destined to be the prophecy kid, Poseidon had hidden him away, like what Kronos had told him. He remembered what the god had admitted to him: _I’m sorry you were born._

“Tyson...dad told me to find you and bring you to camp. He said you were important. Camp will be good for you, alright? The others will get used to you. I promise.”

That seemed to calm him down, because Tyson sighed and curled up. Percy waited for him to say something, but he was already asleep.

  
  


_Then._

The Sea Lord was finally done with the grueling diplomacies of court when in came the happy chatter of a six-year-old-boy. 

It was obviously his youngest child, and as young Percy entered the throne room, Poseidon noticed that the person the boy had been talking to was Elopo the cyclops, chief of the forges. 

“Will you ever design a cool weapon for me?” Percy asked excitedly. His green eyes lit up with the innocence of a young mortal. 

Amphitrite was right. He was growing quicker than expected, and worse still was that his flame would be extinguished just as fast. Unless Percy became the savior of Olympus, of course.

“I may gift you a trident once you’re older. But you’ll have another weapon, sadly not designed by me,” Elopo said, casting a one-eyed glance at Poseidon. 

Percy pouted a bit. “Oh. Well, it was nice talking to you, cuz!” 

Elopo chuckled. “Anytime, little prince.” Then he bowed to Poseidon. “My Lord.” The god gave the cyclops an easy smile, and with that, Elopo swam away.

“I didn’t know you were interested in the forges,” Poseidon told Percy apprehensively.

He shrugged. “Eldoris taught me all about the titan war and the cyclopes. So I went to the forges, and it was so cool! Elopo is really nice and all, and he offered to accompany me on the way here.” Percy wringed his hands together and lowered his gaze, suddenly embarrassed. “I wanted to talk to you.”

Poseidon stared at him in amusement. “About what?”

“Um. I was just curious about…”

Poseidon nodded for him to continue.

“Yesterday, when Kym came to visit, she said I wasn’t…” his lower lip trembled. 

Suddenly Poseidon understood where he was going and wasn’t liking it in the least. But for the sake of his son, he kept the neutral facade.

“I wasn’t part of the family because my real mom is a mortal,” Percy blurted out.

The god’s eyes softened. “Oh, Percy. Come here.” 

The boy wouldn’t meet his eyes, but still Percy obliged, hugging his father’s side. “You are very much part of this family. I...maybe you didn’t realize the truth about your mother, but Amphitrite will always love you very dearly, even if she didn’t birth you.”

Percy sniffled and nodded, burying his face into Poseidon’s shirt. His face darkened when he recalled what Percy had first admitted. “I will talk to Kym about this.”

Percy looked up. “Triton got mad at her. They started fighting and all.”

Poseidon’s mouth twitched. “I’m sure he did.”

“And that’s another thing.” Percy’s eyes lit up all over again as if he hadn’t been crying just a few seconds ago. He clearly was a son of the sea. “Do your brothers do that for you? Eldoris talked about them, but he said I couldn’t meet them ‘cause they live in Olympus and don’t like the ocean or whatever.”

Poseidon suppressed the urge to laugh. “Not really, no. We fight more than you and Triton. My sisters are nicer to me.”

Percy nodded like this made perfect sense. “Rhode is nicer to me. And so is Benthe...Benthe—”

“Benthesikyme?” the Sea God supplied.

“Yeah, her. But I only see her once in a while. She’s always away. And so is Kym.” He scrunched up his eyebrows. “But she isn’t so nice.”

“Hmm. I wouldn’t think so.”

“But what about your other family in Olympus?” 

“They’re all my nieces and nephews. Except Aphrodite. But she’s technically a Titan.”

“Oh,” he frowned, probably not understanding. “Cool!” 

“They’re all your cousins, as well. But don’t let that fool you. They are a problematic bunch. All sons and daughters of Zeus, as well. He’s my younger brother…like you and Triton.” He tried not to show his resentment.

“Is Zeus a good daddy like you?”

Poseidon gripped his trident. Oh, if only he knew. “No. I wouldn’t think so,” the god finally said.

“That’s sad.” Percy paused for a moment. “Well I like my siblings. Triton is teaching me how to fight!”

Poseidon chuckled and ruffled his son’s hair, making it float around like a raven halo. “That’s very good, my boy.”

“But he gets mad sometimes, daddy.” He titled his head to the side. “But I think he still likes me better than Kym.”

“Family can be complicated like that,” Poseidon sighed. “But remember this, Perseus. No matter what, they are still your family. And we can never give up on family.”

“What about my other mommy? Why is she not here? Did we give up on her?”

Poseidon thought carefully about what to say next. “Family can do evil things. They can be selfish. Your mother died because of that. And I hold my own resentments towards my family, but if we fight about it for too long, it only turns into catastrophe.”

His green eyes grew wide. “So someone killed her?” The god internally cursed himself. The boy was smarter than he looked. He deserved _some_ part of the truth.

“...Yes. That is why I am protecting you. Family may be family, but they can still be wicked.

They were silent for some time, Percy seated by Poseidon’s lap. 

“And will I know someday? About mommy?” he asked softly.

Poseidon smiled sadly. “Yes. Someday.” Innocence didn’t last long, after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um I guess I liked some parts of this?? But it ain’t my favorite chapter by any means. I think it has to do with som being my least favorite book out of the rest, but oh well. Tell me what you think!
> 
> You can find me in Tumblr as @chironshorseass where I post art, answer questions, and more haha if y’all want to check it out!


	5. until you're announced

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely people, how are y'all? Sorry I posted later, but eh I was busy n stuff. Also, I've taken a small break from writing and tumblr, but now I'm back lol so hey. 
> 
> This is the second part of som, and I hope y'all enjoy :)

_ Now. _

Percy couldn’t sleep. So naturally, he left the cabin and sprinted off to the beach, careful not to alert the harpies. The sea always calmed his nerves—or maybe it was just the simple act of making shapes in the water. He itched to dive deep into the waves toward Atlantis but knew it wasn’t wise.

Poseidon was evident in his instructions of staying in dry land and, unfortunately, he was still the Lord of the Sea and Percy a mortal. He had to do as he was told.

So he opted to look up at the night sky filled with stars. They were one of the most beautiful things about the sky.

Stars.

It mesmerized Percy so much that he asked Annabeth to teach him the constellations, and now he could name most of them. Sagittarius, Herakles, Corona Borealis, all of them dotting the sky accordingly as if the gods themselves had made them—which they had.

“Beautiful, aren’t they?” somebody said.

Percy jumped in surprise. 

It was a man. He was slim and fit, and he had probably been running, which was something mortals liked to do for some reason. Percy thought it was tiring, but everyone insisted it was good exercise.

At that moment, he didn’t find it strange for someone to stumble into camp, so when the man asked to sit down next to Percy, he obliged.

“Ah, yes. Peace and—” 

Something in the man’s pocket rang. He sighed and pulled out a little square thing. Percy recognized it as a phone, but what was stranger were the two serpents writhing around it. 

Maybe it was a mortal thing.

The man cursed and excused himself. He put the phone in his ear and said, “Hello?”

After a quick discussion, he put the phone away. “Sorry. The overnight express business is just booming. Now, as I was saying—”

“You have snakes on your phone,” Percy observed. “It  _ is _ a phone, right?”

“What? Oh, they don’t bite. Say hello, George and Martha.”

_ Hello. _

_ Hi. Do you have rats? _

Percy was starting to think that maybe this man wasn’t so mortal. “Um…”

“Ignore George,” said the man. “Now. Peace and quiet. Yes, quite right. I haven't had any of that since the industrial revolution. Do you have a favorite constellation, Percy?”

The man knew his name, another sign he wasn’t just a regular mortal. But Percy decided to play along. “I like Herakles.”

“Why?”

“Because he had shitty luck. Worse than mine. Makes me feel better.”

The man chuckled. “Not because he was strong and famous?”

Percy wrinkled his nose. “No.”

“You’re an interesting young man. And so, what now?”

He knew what the man meant: what of the fleece? 

Percy opened and closed his mouth. “Who are you, exactly?”

“Haven’t you guessed by now, a smart boy like you?”

_ Show him!  _ Martha pleaded. _ I haven’t been full-size for months. _

_ Don’t listen to her!  _ George said.  _ She just wants to show off! _

The man held the phone close and asked for the original form. Immediately, the little box transformed into a wooden staff. George and Martha, now full-sized green snakes, coiled together around the middle. It was a caduceus, the symbol of Cabin Eleven.

Percy tried not to gasp. “You’re Hermes. Luke’s father.” 

Hermes pursed his lips at the mention of Luke. He admitted it sounded weird for a god to be known because of their demigod children. But then he changed the subject to Percy’s quest again.

“You’re saying I should go anyway. Even without permission.”

Hermes’ eyes twinkled and asked Martha for a package. The snake’s mouth grew wider and wider until she belched out a stainless steel thermos with Ancient Greek scenes. 

Percy looked at it questionably. “Never question a gift,” Hermes chided. “This is a collector’s item from  _ Hercules Busts Heads _ . The first season.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind that. Now pick it up.”

Percy did as he was told and nearly dropped it because of how cold it was on one side and hot on the other.

Hermes explained what the Thermos did. It unleashed the winds for the seven corners of the world, but he warned not to let out their full power. Then the god handed him a glass jar with little monster figurines.

“They’re vitamins,” he said. “These are potent. Don’t take one unless you gravely need it.”

“How will I know if I need it?”

“Oh, you’ll know.” Hermes tossed him the jar.

“Um, thanks,” Percy said. “But Lord Hermes, why are you helping me?”

He gave Percy a melancholy smile. “Perhaps because I hope that you can save many people on this quest, Percy. Not just your friend Grover.”

“You mean... _ Luke?” _

Hermes didn’t answer, but Percy still argued with him that he might as well take back his gifts; Luke couldn’t be saved.

Hermes gazed up at the stars. “My dear young cousin, if there’s one thing I’ve learned in my eons of living, it’s that you  _ can’t  _ give up on family. No matter how tempting they make it seem. Do you understand?”

He remembered what his father had told him about his family all those years ago. Even the Sea God, with all his wrath and resentments, understood this. But Percy wasn’t so sure. 

Hermes brushed himself off and stood up. “You will someday...in the meantime, your friends are almost here.” He could already hear Annabeth and Tyson’s shouting. “You have less time than you realize to save your camp. I hoped I packed well.” 

Hermes snapped his fingers, and three duffel bags appeared by Percy’s feet. The god pointed to a big ship on the horizon and told him that he had to go there first. 

“Wait! I haven’t agreed to go!”

“Make up your mind soon. The harpies will be here in a few minutes. Now, good night, cousin, and may the gods be with you.”

With that, Hermes disappeared.

. . .

His friends thought Percy was in trouble and had run down the beach in search of him. Typical of the gods. But they had other pressing matters now.

“I know we’ll get expelled,” Annabeth stressed. “But if we don’t do this, there’ll be no camp to attend.”

“But you promised Chiron—”

“To keep you safe, yes. But I can do that by coming with you! Tyson can stay behind to tell them—”

“I want to go,” Tyson said.

“No!” Annabeth’s voice sounded close to panic. “I mean…Percy, come on. You know that’s impossible.”

He wondered again why she had such a grudge against cyclopes. There was something she wasn’t telling him. They both waited for Percy to make a decision.

He knew Tyson was young and maybe wouldn’t know how to fend for himself, and there was also the small part of Percy that was already tired of having him around, but the harpies were almost to the sand dunes. 

“We can’t leave him,” he decided. “Tantalus will punish him for us being gone.”

“Percy,” Annabeth said, trying to keep calm, “we’re going to Polyphemus’s island! Polyphemus is an S-i-k…a C-y-k…” She stamped her foot in frustration. Percy had forgotten that Annabeth was dyslexic, too.

He turned to Tyson, ignoring her. “You can come if you want to.”

Tyson clapped his hands together. “I want to!”

Annabeth gave him the evil eye, but opted to ask how they’d get to the ship. She probably knew not to argue.

“Hermes said my dad would help,” he explained.

“Then what are you waiting for, Seaweed Brain?”

Percy stepped into the water, feeling the power of the ocean—and called to Poseidon. 

Just when the harpies could be heard across the surf, three white lines appeared on the surface. They moved fast toward the shore, like claws ripping through the water.

As they neared the beach, the surf burst apart and the heads of three white stallions reared out of the waves.

Tyson caught his breath. “Fish ponies!”

Hippocampi. It had been so long since Percy had last seen them; they traveled in groups all over the ocean, since they were wild spirits of sorts. He’d forgotten how mystifying they were.

“They’re beautiful,” Annabeth said in wonder. The nearest one whinnied in appreciation and nuzzled Annabeth.

“We’ll admire them later,” he said. “Come on!”

. . .

_ The Princess Andromeda. _

It was a strange name for a mortal ship. There was a huge masthead of a woman in a Greek chiton. It looked like she was chained to the ship, but her face was what creeped Percy out the most.

He remembered the myth, about his namesake rescuing Andromeda from the sea monster. Percy had asked his dad why he was named after a son of Zeus, but Poseidon had always looked at him with that melancholy twinkle in his eye and said, “Perseus always won. Your mother believed it would bring you luck.”

Percy wasn’t so sure it had worked, especially now that they’d discovered—after surveying the ship the next morning—that the place was monster infested.

From their hiding spot, he heard a familiar voice. “—only a matter of time. Don’t push me, Agrius!”

It was Luke, beyond a doubt.

“I’m not pushing you!” another guy growled. His voice was deeper and even angrier than Luke’s. “I’m just saying, if this gamble doesn’t pay off—”

“It’ll pay off,” Luke snapped. “They’ll take the bait. Now, come, we’ve got to get to the admiralty suite and check on the casket.”

Their voices receded down the corridor.

Tyson whimpered. “Leave now?”

Annabeth and Percy exchanged looks and came to a silent agreement.

“We can’t,” he told Tyson.

“We have to find out what Luke is up to,” Annabeth agreed. “And if possible, we’re going to beat him up, bind him in chains, and drag his ass to Mount Olympus.”

. . .

They’d finally found Luke. He was in a room with two other people, and luckily Tyson could hear and imitate their voices. Annabeth was especially freaked out about that.

Unluckily, they heard Tyson.

The doors of the room burst open and there was Luke with an impish smile. Flanking him were two hairy giants with bronze javelins aimed at their chests.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite people. Come right in.”

. . .

The room they were in was pretty nice, with large windows overlooking the sea. The only problem was the frigid air all around, and it came from the sarcophagus. Percy had a feeling of dread as he stared at it.

Luke’s bodyguards still had javelins aimed at their chests. Out of the silence, Luke introduced them. Agrius and Oreius, half bear and half man.

Percy had imagined meeting Luke many times since he’d last tried to kill him last summer. He’d pictured standing up and challenging the traitor to a duel—or  _ something— _ but now he couldn’t stop his hands from shaking. 

_ Deep breaths. _

He searched for the source of his power, the sea. It soothed Percy somewhat, but even the ocean below couldn't help with his anger.

Luke plopped himself on the sofa. “Well, Percy, we let you survive another year without joining our cause. How’s your father? Is Atlantis still at peace?”

Percy clenched his fists. “What do you mean?”

Luke shrugged. “Oh, nothing much.”

“You poisoned Thalia’s tree, so shut the fuck up about ‘nothing much’,” he said. Annabeth squeezed Percy’s arm; her face was red with rage.

Luke sighed. He admitted to being guilty about that, at least.

“How could you?” Annabeth sounded so angry Percy thought she’d explode. “Thalia saved your life! Our lives! How could you dishonor her—”

“I didn’t dishonor her!” Luke snapped. “The gods dishonored her, Annabeth! If Thalia were alive, she’d be on my side.”

“Liar!”

“If you knew what was coming, you’d understand—”

“I understand you want to destroy the camp!” she yelled. “You’re a monster!”

Luke shook his head, calmly offering the opportunity of a better world to her as if he weren’t endangering the demigods he preached to help. “We could use your intelligence, Annabeth.

“Because you have none of your own!”

“You really want to be on the losing side with company like  _ this?”  _ Luke pointed at Tyson.

“Hey!” said Percy.

“Traveling with a Cyclops.” Luke shook his head as if Annabeth were a big disappointment. “Talk about dishonoring Thalia’s memory! You of all people—”

“Stop it!” she shouted.

He didn’t know what Luke was talking about, but Annabeth buried her head in her hands like she was about to cry.

“Leave her alone,” Percy said. “And leave Tyson out of this.”

Luke laughed. “Oh, yeah, I heard. Your father claimed him.”

Percy must have looked surprised, because Luke smiled and confessed people kept him posted at camp, he even knew about the coordinates. 

“Spies, you mean.”

He shrugged. “How many insults from your father can you stand, Percy? You think he’s grateful? He risked your life just to save his own skin last summer.”

Tyson made a rumbling sound deep in his throat.

Luke searched Percy’s face and chuckled. “See, you understand. The gods are  _ using  _ you, Percy. I bet you even have an idea about what’s in store for you when you reach sixteen. I hear Poseidon’s court never knows when to shut up.”

“Maybe I know about it. But I also know who my  _ real  _ enemies are.”

“Then you’re a fool.”

Tyson slammed his fist on the table. “Percy is not a fool!” 

It all escalated from there. Tyson was about to charge Luke, but the bear twins intercepted. Two giants were more than a match for Tyson’s strength, it seemed.

Percy quickly intercepted. “Wait! Hermes sent us here.”

Luke’s face turned an ugly shade of red. “Don’t— _ even— _ mention him.”

He recounted what Hermes had said, about not giving up on Luke. 

_ “Angry?”  _ Luke roared. _ “Give up on me? _ He abandoned me, Percy! Maybe you don’t understand how  _ normal  _ half bloods live, but not everyone’s daddy is going to pluck their child into their palace to raise them. Even that is just because of fear of the head of Olympus.”

“You mean you’re jealous.”

Luke seethed, “I am not jealous. I’m only stating what I see. I want every throne in Olympus crushed to rubble! You tell Hermes it’s going to happen, too. Each time a half-blood joins us, the Olympians grow weaker and we grow stronger.  _ He _ grows stronger.” Luke pointed to the gold sarcophagus.

With a chill he realized Kronos was in that sarcophagus, reforming. That’s why the air was so frigid.

“Join us and you’ll be rewarded. Percy, you can become more powerful than your other siblings. You don’t have to be the demigod that doesn’t fit in Atlantis. Annabeth, you can realize your dream of being an architect. You can build a monument that will last a thousand years. A temple to the lords of the next age!”

“Go to hell,” she said.

Luke sighed. “A shame.”

He picked up a weird box thing—not a phone this time—and pressed a red button. Within seconds, the door burst open and two uniformed guards came in. They had the same glassy-eyed look as the other mortals in the ship. “Ah, good, security,” Luke said, “I’m afraid we have some stowaways.”

. . .

They’d managed to knock out the guards, but not before they called for reinforcements. Annabeth led them to the lifeboats. Monsters charged at them while she tried to figure out how to launch the boat. 

“Hold on!” Percy shouted as he cut the ropes. 

They free-fell into the ocean as arrows whistled over their heads.

. . .

Percy remembered the thermos. He only needed a slight turn of the jar to unleash enough power to outdistance the  _ Princess Andromeda _ , they were whizzing along, salt spraying their faces with nothing but sea ahead. 

With the sea spraying his face, Percy thought it felt even better than swimming. 

An hour later and they had spotted land. 

“That’s Virginia Beach!” Annabeth said as they approached the shoreline. “Oh my gods, how did the Princess Andromeda travel so far overnight? That’s like—”

“Five hundred and thirty nautical miles,” Percy said.

She stared at him. “How did you know that?”

“I—I’m not sure.”

Annabeth thought for a moment. “Percy, what’s our position?”

“36 degrees, 44 minutes north, 76 degrees, 2 minutes west,” he said immediately. Percy shook his head. “Um...How did I know that?”

“Because of your dad,” Annabeth guessed. “When you’re at sea, you have perfect bearings. That is so cool.”

His father wasn’t done with gifting him powers, it seemed. Percy tried to keep the smug smile in check. 

. . .

Annabeth knew of a place they could hide. It was a swampy area filled with tall grass. It wasn’t the best place in the world, especially with the  _ mosquitos  _ that sucked blood, but Annabeth insisted this was a safe spot.

After a few minutes of searching with mud up to their shins, Annabeth uncovered some branches and gestured for them to follow.

_ A camouflaged hideout.  _ Percy had to admit that Luke, Thalia, and Annabeth making this was impressive, even though he somehow felt...jealous about the thought of it. He wasn’t sure why. He swatted that thought away like he did to the bugs outside.

After Percy ordered Tyson to look for food, he took the opportunity to talk to Annabeth about their encounter with Luke. 

“But what’s the bait? Grover or the fleece?”

Annabeth looked troubled. “I’m not sure, Perce. Maybe he wants the fleece and needs us to get it so he can steal it. I just can’t believe he’d poison Thalia’s tree.”

“Why did he say Thalia would be on his side?” Percy asked.

She shook her head. “He’s wrong.”

Percy raised an eyebrow. “You sure?”

Annabeth glared at him, but then dropped her head as if thinking about what to say next. “You know who you remind me of?  _ Thalia.  _ It’s crazy how alike you two are. Either you would’ve been best friends or would’ve strangled each other.”

“Hopefully ‘best friends.’”

“She used to get angry at her dad sometimes. So do you. Would you betray Olympus because of that?”

The answer should’ve been easy, but it wasn’t. Maybe that’s why Luke speculated Thalia would be on his side. His eyes averted to the weapons strewn on the ground. “...No.”

“Okay, then.” Annabeth sheathed her knife. “Neither would she.”

. . .

They were crouched beneath a tree, overlooking the donut shop in the middle of the forest. Tyson has returned with donuts, but instead of feeling elated about the food, Annabeth had gotten anxious and told them to follow her, whatever that meant.

“This is bad,” she muttered. 

“What?” Percy said. “It’s just a shop.”

“Shh!”

. . .

It wasn’t just a mortal shop. Percy had learned that a lot of things on land were more intertwined with the mythical world than he’d thought.

_ A hydra _ .

Awesome. Great. 

But this time chopping off heads wasn’t the best idea, and if he hadn’t charged into battle head-on, this would  _ not  _ have happened. But Percy wasn’t going to admit that to Annabeth.

“Stop it!” Annabeth shouted as Percy sliced off another reptilian head that had been snapping at him. “Percy, you just opened another chain store somewhere!”

He dodged a spray of acid. “Yeah, but I’m trying to not die over here!”

“Stop that! We have to kill it with fire!”

“Sorry! I can only  _ extinguish _ fire,” he snapped back. Percy backed up into the river anyway.

Annabeth moved in on his left and tried to distract one of the heads, parrying its teeth with her knife, but another head swung sideways like a club and knocked her into the muck.

“No hitting my friends!” Tyson charged in, putting himself between the hydra and Annabeth. As Annabeth got to her feet, Tyson started smashing at the monster heads faster than Percy imagined possible for the young cyclops.

They kept retreating to the river, dodging acid spits, but he knew it wouldn’t be long before they made a mistake. 

Then, out of nowhere, came a strange  _ chug-chug-chug  _ sound that shook the river banks. Annabeth was as confused as Percy was.

“What is that?”

“Steam engine,” Tyson supplied.

Percy ducked as the hydra spit acid. “Wha—”

A familiar voice shouted orders from behind him. Some other gravelly voice argued with her that they were too close.

“Damn the heroes!” said the girl. “Full steam ahead!”

“Aye, m’lady.”

“Fire at will, Captain!”

Annabeth understood what was about to happen before Percy did, because she yelled, “Hit the dirt!” 

They dove to the ground just in time.

_ BOOM! _

The hydra exploded right before them, raining monster guts everywhere.

. . .

Of course Clarisse had to be the one to rescue them. Apparently they were aboard a battle cruiser from the American Civil War. Annabeth told him so, at least.

Clarisse had forced them into a tour of the place, which was filled with undead soldiers who sneered and backed away from Percy every time he got too close. They approved of Annabeth because she was Virginian, whatever that meant. He asked one of them about why they were dead and still on land; they just acted as if he weren’t even there. That was a first for him.

“Uh...did you not hear me?”

“We don’t talk to  _ your  _ kind,” the sailor spat, glaring in his direction.

“What does that even mean? I’m the  _ Prince of—” _

“Come on, Percy.” Annabeth shoved him a little so he would keep walking.

He started to protest, not understanding why they were all acting strange.

“I  _ said,  _ come on,” Annabeth told Percy, more forceful this time. Then she faced the sailor and gave him the dirtiest look Percy had ever seen. “You fuckers lost. Get over it.” 

She stormed away, dragging Percy with her. He seriously needed to study land history.

“What was  _ that _ about?” he asked her once they were away from the zombies.

Her face was hard as stone. “Let’s just say that the Civil War was not pretty. They were the losing side.” Annabeth explained about the confederacy and how they had slavery like many civilizations before them. They didn’t want to be anywhere near Percy because of his skin color, she said. 

Percy wrinkled his nose in disgust. “What type of logic is that?”

That’s when Clarisse showed up. “Tantalus expelled you for eternity,” she said smugly. “Mr.D said if any of you show your asses at camp, then he’s going to turn you into grapevines.”

“Did  _ they  _ give you this ship?” Percy demanded. 

“Nah. My father did.”

“Oh, that’s much better.”

Clarisse sneered. “You think your daddy is the only one with sea power? The spirits on the losing side of every war owe a tribute to Ares. That’s their curse for being defeated. I prayed to my father for a naval transport and here it is. These guys will do anything I tell them. Won’t you, Captain?”

The captain stood behind her looking stiff and angry. His glowing green eyes fixed Percy with a hungry stare. “If it means an end to this infernal war, ma’am, peace at last, we’ll do anything. Destroy anyone.” He was still glaring at Percy, but Percy returned it, making the captain lower his eyes.

. . .

That night, he had another dream of Grover. Polyphemus was growing impatient with the satyr not finishing the wedding dress’ train. It wouldn’t be long until the cyclops discovered who his future bride was. 

The dream changed, and he found himself in a cavern with the golden sarcophagus. Next to him stood a girl he had never seen before. She had dark short hair, blue eyes, and a spray of freckles across her face. She was clad in black, which made her harder to see in the dark.

The girl stared at Percy impatiently. “Well, Seaweed Brain? Are you actually going to take him on or do I have to do it for you?”

“What do you mean?” 

She pointed at the sarcophagus with a spear she did not have a few seconds ago. 

When he didn’t move, the girl smiled as if she’d just heard a secret that no one else knew. “Hmm. Maybe you’ll join his side, then.”

“You’re saying…?”

She faded into darkness, and Percy woke to the sound of alarms ringing. 

. . .

The engine groaned at the increase of speed. “Too much strain on the pistons,” Tyson muttered nervously. “Not meant for deep water.” 

After a few more minutes, the dark splotches ahead came into focus. To the north, a huge mass of rock rose out of the sea—an island with huge cliffs. The other patch of darkness had a storm brewing. The sky and sea boiled together in a roaring mass, Percy could feel the power. Someone was controlling the sea.

“Hurricane?” Annabeth asked.

“No,” Clarisse said. “Charybdis.”

Annabeth paled. “Are you crazy?”

“Only way into the Sea of Monsters. Straight between Charybdis and her sister Scylla.”

“She’s right,” Percy said grimly. He didn’t want to agree with Clarisse on something, but they didn’t have a choice but to sail across the monsters’ territory. “Charybdis is our best chance. Though I’m not sure if my sister will let us through just because I’m aboard. Zeus cursed her, so who knows if she will make an exception with us. Hopefully she does.”

. . .

Clarisse was crazier than he’d imagined. How did she plan on blowing up  _ Charybdis?  _

Meanwhile, the ship was getting closer. 

Even with the potential danger of Charybdis swallowing them, Percy couldn’t help but feel for his sister. Eldoris had told him the story: She had been a loyal servant to Poseidon, swallowing islands and land and helping him in the feud with Zeus. Naturally, Zeus was enraged with her stealing his land. And for that, he bound her to a rock and transformed her into a monster, cursed to have an uncontrollable thirst for the sea.

Annabeth stood next to him, gripping the railing. “Can’t you talk to her? You said it yourself, maybe she can make an exception and not suck us in.”

Percy closed his eyes and concentrated. Most of the time, he could communicate with his siblings through his thoughts.

_ Please, sister. Let us through. I am also loyal to Poseidon. _

After a few seconds of silence, Percy had a response.

_ I can’t. Water _ , came her gurgling voice through his mind.  _ Too good. _

Percy opened his eyes and shook his head. “She’s too lost in the curse. Charybdis is helpless to it.”

“What about controlling the water?” she asked. “You’ve done it before.”

He concentrated again. This time to fight for control, but Percy knew it would be almost impossible.

He felt the familiar tug in his gut and realized the sea was calming just a bit. 

_ This is my birthright, too,  _ Percy whispered into the sea.  _ This is my birthright— _

But to Percy’s frustration, Charybdis wouldn’t yield. She was too loud and powerful, a demigod was no match for her. 

His body felt like it would shatter any minute, so he surrendered and let out a gasp of pain. “I—I can’t,” he said miserably. 

Annabeth steadied him. “We need a back-up plan. This isn’t working.”

Scylla sounded great right about now.

“Annabeth is right,” Tyson said. “Engine’s not good.”

Charybdis sucked in another handful of sea water, making the ship lurch forward. 

“Full reverse!” Clarisse screamed over the noise. She ordered the zombies to get within firing range and to ready the cannons. Meanwhile, waves were crashing on deck. Percy had never felt so helpless as he watched the ship getting closer and closer to the vortex.

A sailor with his beard on fire came bursting from downstairs and told Clarisse about the boiling room overheating. 

To Percy’s dismay, Tyson agreed to help.

“Go!” Clarisse bellowed. 

Percy grabbed Tyson’s arm. “Tyson, no! It’s too dangerous!”

He patted Percy’s hand. “Only way, brother.” His expression was determined, and Percy knew that he wouldn’t change his mind. “I will fix it. Be right back.”

. . .

The cannons only made Charybdis mad, but just as the ship was getting close, Tyson had somehow fixed the problem, allowing them to pull away from his sister’s giant mouth.

Suddenly, Charybdis’ mouth closed, calming the waters. But she opened it just as quickly, spitting out the cannons and making the ship spin out of control to the other side of the strait. It took all of Percy’s willpower to not let the ship capsize.

But there was another problem, now.

Scylla.

She snatched confederate sailors quicker than lightning. To Annabeth’s command, Clarisse and a few others uncovered the lifeboats.

“Get the other boat,” he threw Annabeth the thermos. “I’ll get Tyson.”

She warned him not to—that he'd be burned alive; Percy didn’t listen. 

But then his feet weren’t touching the deck. Percy was being lifted higher and higher—and knew Scylla had gotten him. He managed to jab at the monstress’ eye, making her grunt. 

As he fell towards the ocean, there was a sudden brightness. 

_ KAROOM! _

The CSS  _ Bringinham  _ exploded below him.

He saw Annabeth open the Thermos cap a little too far, and the last thing he knew was flying some more and crashing hard into the ocean. Percy wished for the first time that he could drown, knowing Tyson had been lost forever.


	6. call me the contender

Percy woke in a rowboat with a makeshift sail stitched of gray uniform fabric. Annabeth sat next to him, tacking into the wind.

“Rest,” she said. “You’re going to need it.”

“Tyson…?”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

Tyson had sacrificed his life for them, and all he’d done was feel embarrassed about being related.

He still didn’t understand why Poseidon had made him find Tyson, but maybe it was so that the cyclops would finally find a friend. Safety. A home. That made Percy feel worse.

  
  


. . . 

They managed to salvage some ambrosia and the multivitamins, but that was pretty much it.

After a day of sailing through the Sea of Monsters—lying in the hard sun with cracking lips and dry mouths—a seagull propped itself in the small boat.

“Land,” Annabeth gasped. “There’s land nearby!”

  
  


. . .

C.C’s spa seemed strange, especially with so many different boats docked, but then again, Percy had never been to this part of the ocean before. He was too hot and tired to argue with the nice lady. 

He forgot all about their problems when he met C.C. 

“Would you look at that!” C.C exclaimed, putting her loom aside. “The illegitimate prince of Atlantis! Oh, Hylla. We’re lucky, indeed.” This would’ve usually made Percy nervous since he didn’t know these people, but instead, he had this strange need to want to please the beautiful lady before him.

Hylla, the woman who had checked them in, smiled slightly. 

“Oh, dear,” she sighed. “You do need my help.”

“Ma’am?” he asked.

“Hylla, take Annabeth on a tour, will you? Show her what we have available. Meanwhile, I’ll give His Majesty a full makeover.”

Percy tried to ignore the squealing from the small cage nearby.

  
  


. . .

“See here, Perseus.” C.C guided him to a mirrored wall. “The first thing you have to do to unlock your potential is admitting you’re not happy the way you are.”

Percy’s reflection made him uncomfortable, for some reason. Like how his front teeth weren’t perfectly straight and that his hair was untamable unless he pulled it into a braid or ponytail. He realized how scrawny he looked, as well.

_Have I always been like this?_

_Who cares?_ Another voice whispered.

“Mm. Yes, you see it, don’t you?” she lamented. “Let’s try...this.” C.C snapped her fingers, and his reflection changed.

It was him...but at the same time not. 

Percy looked older in the mirror; he was taller, as well. He had a confident smile on his face. His hair was shorter, more shoulder length. But what intrigued him more was that this version was casually holding a trident like it was no big deal. Atop his head rested a crown made up of seashells. All in all, it seemed to be a ceremony for something, and New Percy looked the part of the prince, which he’d always felt insecure about.

“Can you really…?”

“Why yes, of course. You’ll just need to exercise a bit, eat lots of fresh fruit. And of course...this” C.C handed him a pink-looking drink. 

After some time of thinking about it and reassurances, Percy thought: _Why not?_

  
  


. . .

 _“A guinea pig,”_ C.C had said. _“Lovely, aren’t you? Men are pigs, Percy Jackson.”_

In all his life, he had never felt so small, so pathetic—and that was coming from the guy who’d always been the puny mortal in the family. 

Percy squirmed helplessly under C.C’s grip, but it was useless. She plopped him into the small cage he’d seen earlier with the other _guinea pigs._

C.C was scolding him about something, but Percy was too busy staring at his furry peers and hearing the pounding of his tiny heart.

“...if you don’t want to stay with them permanently, I suggest you be—”

“Miss C.C?”

C.C cursed in Ancient Greek and quickly hid Percy’s clothes away in the loom.

When Annabeth walked in, he almost didn’t recognize her. Her hair was braided with gold. She had makeup on, which looked strange since she never wore it, but it accentuated her features. It was at this moment that Percy realized—dressed up or not—Annabeth was really pretty.

She frowned as she surveyed the room, asking for him. He squealed as much as he could, but to no avail.

“Bah! Men get all the glory.” C.C. was telling Annabeth. The sorceress closed her fist and extinguished the magic flame in her hand. “The only way to power for women is sorcery. Medea, Calypso, now there were powerful women! And me, of course. The greatest of all.”

“You…C.C.…Circe!”

“Yes, my dear.”

Annabeth backed away. “What have you done to Percy?”

Circe shrugged. “Helped him realize his true form.”

That’s when she spotted the cage. Her eyes widened.

  
  


. . . 

They were alone, now. With doors locked and barred windows, but alone. Annabeth found Hermes’ vitamins inside Percy’s jeans, which made him want to scream at her to hurry.

She plopped a yellow one in her mouth just as Circe and her attendants barged in. Annabeth drew her bronze knife.

Circe didn’t take Annabeth rebelling against her very well. Blue light engulfed Annabeth, but to his surprise, nothing happened.

It only made her angrier. The next thing he knew, she had her knife at Circe’s throat.

“Turn Percy back into a human or else!”

“I can’t!”

“Then you asked for it.” 

  
  


. . .

“Arghh! Run that bloody witch through!” The pirates chased after Circe and her attendants. 

Annabeth sheathed her knife and glared at Percy. Who knew vitamins could turn one back into a human?

“Thanks…” he faltered. “Um. I’m sorry—”

Percy didn’t have time to apologize, because Annabeth tackled him in a hug. She quickly pulled away. “Promised to keep you safe, didn’t I? And...I’m glad you’re not a guinea pig.”

“Me too.” 

. . .

Percy had insisted on taking the older-looking vessel. Annabeth seemed like she wanted to protest but she knew to trust him.

He’d heard about children of Poseidon being able to control ships, so he supposed he had to give it a try. Luckily for Percy, it had been true, and now the ship responded to his every command, so again they were sailing to the Sea of Monsters.

Percy had to admit: the land powers he hadn’t known about were neat. 

  
  


. . .

Now that they were out of danger, all Percy could think about was how much he missed Tyson. He was also worrying more about Grover by the minute.

He couldn’t help thinking about what Circe had said. 

_See, Percy? You’ve unlocked your true self!_

He still felt like that helpless guinea pig in that cage. Maybe that’s all he was: a scared little animal.

Finally Annabeth came up on deck to check on Percy. She looked significantly less green. Seeing her again made him want to ask the question he’d never gotten the answer to.

“Why do you hate cyclopes so much?”

It was hard to see her expression in the dark, but after a while she said, “I guess you deserve to know.”

She told him about taking a wrong turn when she was on the run with Luke and Thalia and stumbling into a cyclops’ lair. 

“He could sound like anyone, Percy. Just like Tyson on that cruise ship. That’s how he tricked us.” In the end, Annabeth had said, she’d stabbed the cyclops in the foot before it ate Grover, Luke, and Thalia.

“You stabbed a cyclops in the foot at _seven?_ ”

“I mean...yeah. But it was luck that I didn’t die. And then I cut Thalia's ropes and she took it from there.”

“But still...That was pretty brave, Annabeth.”

She shook her head. “We barely got out alive. The way that cyclops could imitate anyone…” she shuddered. “That cyclops slowed us down and made the rest of the monsters catch up. If we hadn’t stumbled into its lair, Thalia might still be alive today.”

  
  


. . .

In his dreams, Percy felt like air, floating around in complete darkness. But after minutes or hours of roaming around, he found a shimmering light. He reached for it, and—

Percy was in a busy street filled with cars; it looked like New York based on the last time he’d been there.

A storm was brewing, and big grey clouds darkened the city. 

_Little grandson,_ a raspy voice whispered in his mind. He recalled it as Kronos’.

“Kronos. Why am I here?”

He could practically see the Titan Lord smiling. _It’s enough if you just watch._

A taxi car stopped near Percy. The door to the back opened, and out came... _his mother?_

She looked the same as the last time he saw her, but this time Sally Jackson was flesh and bone, and in her arms was a small baby. Lightning lit up the skyline as she fished through her purse for money to give the driver. 

Thunder boomed overhead, making the baby cry. With a start, Percy realized that the baby was him. 

His mother cradled him a bit, but lightning illuminated the city again, and he screamed like his life depended on it. The people passing by gave his mom dirty looks. 

“Shh. It’s alright, sweetheart.” But she, too, gazed at the storm clouds. Her eyebrows scrunched up in worry like she remembered something. “Why am I here, why am I here?” Sally whispered to herself.

He wanted to go to her—to beg her to find safety inside somewhere because Zeus was angry, and she would die at his hands someday—but he was made of smoke.

A cold gust of wind swept around her, and her eyes turned glassy, like those of the mortals in the _Princess Andromeda_. 

She nodded to an invisible command. “That’s right. The airport.” And with that, she walked away, leaving present Percy in the dust. He understood what this was about, so he tried to break into a run, but his legs wouldn’t work.

_No, please._

_Oh yes,_ Kronos murmured. _Zeus lured her in like that cyclops did to your little friend._

Tears sprung to his eyes. _I don’t want to see this._

But Kronos was not merciful. Now, Percy was on a big runway. An airplane towered over him. Percy watched with dread as passengers filed in, climbing the stairs to the door. He scanned the people for a mop of long curly hair, and there she was. His mother.

Sally still had that lost expression as she cooed at her baby and stepped inside the plane. His blood ran cold. She had been the last to board. 

Percy’s lip trembled while watching the door close, trapping his mother in. There was a deathly calm all around; the calm before a storm. The hairs on his arm sprung up, and he knew what was about to happen. 

After a while of watching, the plane picked up speed and was off into the darkened sky.

“No…” Percy muttered. All at once, a white light blinded him. Heat seared his shirt. “NO!” There was a clap of thunder so loud that it made Percy clutch his head and fall to his knees.

Everything faded into darkness again. 

_You see, boy? I’m sure no one told you the truth about your mother, but if you ask, you will know I’m right. Zeus wanted her dead. She knew not to enter his domain, so he tricked her into flying._

Percy took a shaky breath and clenched his hands so they’d stop trembling. 

_I’ve told you before. But now I hope you make the wise decision of joining me. Why are you still a pawn to the Olympians?_

Deep in his mind, he knew Kronos was right. How was he supposed to carry on knowing Zeus had been twisted enough to lure his mother onto a plane and killing off not only her, but many other innocent mortals?

But Percy knew something else, too.

“I fucking hate Zeus. But I’m on _my_ side. You also want to take away those I care about, so I prefer to not join you. Destroying you would be great, actually.”

 _On_ your _side?_ Kronos chuckled. _How cute. And disappointing. I’ll have no choice but to kill you, now._

  
. . .

After that dream, Percy was happy to take the helm again. Apparently Annabeth had spotted the island of the sirens, and she wanted to hear them. Her reasoning was that it made those who listened wiser. it sounded so _Annabeth_ that Percy agreed to tie her down to the foremast.

“Don’t untie me,” she said, “no matter what happens or how much I plead. I’ll want to go straight over the edge and drown myself.”

“Are you trying to tempt me?”

“Ha-ha.”

He plugged the wax into his ears and listened to the silence.

  
. . .

Percy’s mistake was forgetting to disarm Annabeth. She screamed and sobbed at him, probably telling him to let her go and that he was a horrible friend. It got to the point where he couldn’t look at her anymore.

The next thing he knew, Annabeth was gone. Her dagger lay next to the cut ropes.

“Fuck, fuck, _fuck!”_

He jumped over the side. Percy willed the currents to make a jet stream that shot him forward. He came up to the surface and spotted Annabeth; a wave swept her between two razor sharp rocks, but Percy made sure that she wouldn’t hit them.

He dove under and concentrated on not colliding with the wreckage. When he resurfaced, he found himself in a moon shaped bay. The sirens were there, as well, blood staining their human-like teeth.

Percy knew that if he could just save Annabeth from their claws, the sirens would drown themselves.

  
  


. . .

He’d managed to grab hold of her, though she kicked him once or twice. But then Percy saw what the sirens must’ve been showing Annabeth.

A city built by her. Her father and Athena, together. And so was Luke, who smiled and gestured for Annabeth to follow. Everything just the way she wanted. But Percy knew it was a trick, especially when the faces morphed into Poseidon. Triton. Rhode. Amphitrite. Grover. Tyson.

They all had bloodstains and dirty mouths. 

He held onto Annabeth tighter and willed the currents to guide them deep underwater, but not too deep, or Annabeth wouldn’t stand the pressure. With a quick thought, Percy created an underwater bubble.

Annabeth gasped and coughed. Her whole body shuddered. Meanwhile, Percy felt the sirens plunge into their own bay. He knew that the sea would claim them.

That was all forgotten when Annabeth looked at him, and she broke down into horrible, heartbreaking sobbing. Percy held her tighter. 

A school of barracudas gathered to look at them.

_Scram!_

Reluctantly, they swam off, but Percy knew that by then the entire sea would know about the rumor of Poseidon’s prince and the daughter of Athena in Siren’s Bay. Fish were terrible gossips.

Only one stayed behind. It glowed brighter than the rest; it was bigger, as well. For a moment, Percy saw the face of his sister, Rhode.

_Hello, little brother._

_Rhode? What are you doing here?_

_I come with a message. I know Kronos is plaguing your mind._

_Who said that?_

_I’m a goddess aren’t I? But whatever he’s told you, just know: Not all that shimmers is gold. Oh, and…_

The princess gazed at the air bubble he’d created for Annabeth, who still had her head on his shoulder. Rhode smiled slightly.

_Think about her before you give in to grandfather._

She turned back into a barracuda and swam off.

  
  


. . .

“You okay?” Percy asked once they were back on the ship.

“I didn’t realize,” she murmured. “How powerful temptation could be.”

“I saw the way you created a city,” he admitted. “And Luke and your parents.”

She blushed. “You saw that?”

He recalled what Luke had said earlier. “...Rebuilding the world. That really got you, huh?” 

Annabeth pulled her blanket tighter around herself. “The sirens showed me my fatal flaw. Hubris.”

“...Oh.” Percy thought about it for a moment “You feel that way?”

“Well...yeah. I mean the West represents many good things. But sometimes you just see the bad stuff, and you tell yourself: I could make it better.”

“I mean, I don’t know about the making it better part; me running the world would be pretty horrible. But I do get that there’s so much that’s fucked up.”

“Then you’re lucky. Hubris isn’t your fatal flaw.”

 _Every hero has a flaw,_ he remembered Eldoris tell him that once. But he didn’t know what his flaw was.

“But Percy...if you don’t learn to control it, well. They don’t call it fatal for nothing.”

If Luke’s way of thinking could tempt Annabeth, and if Percy himself had thought about rebelling against Olympus, then the situation was more dire than they’d thought. Who knew how many half-bloods could be swayed?

  
  


. . .

_30, 31, 75, 12._

They had reached Polyphemus’ island. As they sailed toward the shore, Annabeth breathed in the sweet air. “The Fleece,” she said.

Percy nodded. He could definitely feel its power in the beautiful island. It felt a shame to steal it, but camp was in trouble, and Tyson...he would still be alive if it wasn’t for the quest.

If it wasn’t for Kronos. 

That added fuel to his fire, sealing the thought of never joining the titans.

They soon discovered that there were carnivorous sheep, and also found the other small lifeboat from the CSS _Birmingham._ Clarisse was alive, and just maybe...that meant Tyson was, too.

  
  


. . .

Percy suggested the rock climbing, but even with the lava wall training, it was still harder than he’d thought. Swimming was so much easier, because again, you could potentially fall and die, unlike being in water.

Finally, with bloodied fingers and shaking limbs, they hauled themselves to the top of the cliff and collapsed. 

It was just their luck that on the opposite side of the ledge lay Polyphemus’ cave.

Grover was still in his wedding dress, while Clarisse was tied and hanging upside down over a pot of boiling water, cursing at the cyclops. Polyphemus was interrogating Clarisse, until her big mouth blurted out that Grover was a satyr. He was doomed. Percy wanted to wring her neck for not shutting up.

But it was too late, because Polyphemus ripped Grover’s wedding dress to reveal his furry goat legs. He couldn’t see very well since the incident with Odysseus, but Polyphemus still noticed that he wasn’t marrying a lady cyclops. 

  
  


. . .

The giant cyclops looked back at Clarisse, still hanging over the pot of boiling water. 

“You a satyr, too?”

“No you overgrown piece of shit!” she yelled. “I’m a girl, the daughter of Ares. And I’m going to rip your arms off!”

“Hmm. You’re a feisty one.”

“Let me down!”

“Have to graze sheep now,” Polyphemus said. “Wedding postponed until tonight. And the feisty girl is my bride, now. Then we’ll eat satyr for the main course!”

Clarisse made a strangled noise. “Oh, no! You _can’t_ be serious—”

The cyclops plucked her off the rope and tossed her and Grover deep in the cave. 

  
  


. . .

He hated Annabeth’s ideas. Especially when _he_ had to hang upside down from the belly of a sheep and _she_ got to be invisible. 

The sun was going down, and no sooner had Polyphemus called for the sheep to enter the cave.

Just when the cyclops was about to roll the stone back into place—trapping Percy and the sheep inside—Annabeth shouted, “Hello, ugly!”

Polyphemus froze. “Who said that?”

“Nobody!” Annabeth yelled.

That got his attention, because his face reddened and he bellowed in rage, tossing his front door towards the sound of her voice.

  
  


. . .

Annabeth kept going like that, taunting the cyclops and using his arch nemesis’ nickname to anger him more. 

Percy had to hurry before something happened to her. He ran down corridors littered with bones until finally he found the spinning room where Grover was huddled in a corner, trying to cut Clarisse’s bounds.

That’s when they saw him.

“ _Percy?”_ Clarisse said. “You’re supposed to be blown up!”

“Good to see you, too. Now hold still—”

“Perrcy!” Grover bleated and tackled him in a hug. “I knew you heard me!”

Percy patted his back. “Yeah, buddy. Of course I did.”

“Where’s Annabeth?”

“Outside,” he said. “But we have to hurry. Clarisse, hold still.”

When he’d cut through her bounds with Riptide, Percy asked Clarisse if anyone else had survived the explosion, hoping that Tyson wasn’t dead. 

She looked surprised. “No. Just me. I thought you guys hadn’t even made it out.”

He nodded, trying not to think about it. “Okay. Come on, then. We have to help—”

An explosion echoed from outside, followed by Annabeth screaming.

  
  


. . .

Annabeth was hanging upside down by the legs. Polyphemus had gotten her. She had a big cut on her forehead, and her eyes were glassy.

Percy suggested fighting the cyclops while Clarisse and Grover readied the ship. 

“No way. We’ll take him together,” Clarisse growled. 

“Yeah,” Grover agreed with her. That was a first for him.

So Percy told them the plan.

When Clarisse and Grover had hidden out of sight, he hefted his sword and shouted, “Hey, Ugly!”

His brother whirled toward him. “ _Another_ one? Who are you?”

“ _I’m_ Nobody. Put down my friend. She didn’t insult you. Come here so I can stab your eye out again!”

The cyclops roared; he dropped Annabeth. Unfortunately, she hit the rocks and lay on the ground like a rag doll. 

Polyphemus barreled towards Percy, his senses now on overdrive, preparing for a fight. That’s when Grover and Clarisse ran from the sides to attack.

He moved in with Riptide. The giant made a grab for Percy, but he was too quick, rolling aside and stabbing Polyphemus in the thigh.

“Get Annabeth!” he yelled to Grover. 

Meanwhile Clarisse kept coming with her spear as Percy attacked from the side. He hadn’t realized how good of a fighter she was, but soon they would both tire and give in to the monster. With just one hit, they would die.

  
  


_Then._

It had only been two days since Percy returned to the sea from Camp Half Blood and Triton already wanted to spar with Percy again, like they did before.

He was just starting to get used to the feel of water around him again when Triton used his trident to clutch Riptide between two of the spear points and twisted.

Percy’s sword flew from his hand, but didn’t fall to the ground for the obvious reasons of there not being gravity. His brother kicked him in the chest—he transformed to human form whenever they sparred—and rested the three spear points to Percy’s neck. 

Triton clicked his tongue. “You’re letting down your guard too much.” He still didn’t take the trident from Percy’s throat. 

“I’m still getting used to being underwater in general. Give me a break.” Triton pushed his foot harder against his chest, and Percy tried not to wince.

 _“No one_ is going to give you a break. Not now that you’re in the spotlight of both worlds. I didn’t kill you because we’re practicing—”

“How loving of you.”

Triton rolled his eyes and let Percy go. “ _But_ you must remember this, Perce: whenever you’re in a fight, you have to understand that the sea is never merciful, especially to those who will not show mercy. Do not hesitate. Think of that when you go into battle.”

  
  


_Now._

They were tearing through the grassy fields, hoping to get to the bridge and cross it before Polyphemus did.

They’d finally gotten to the other side and managed to cut all the ropes, but still Polyphemus had succeeded in crossing the bridge, floating about his success.

Percy’s friends were flung away like flies, leaving only him and Polyphemus. 

Anger boiled inside of him. He hadn’t come all this way, lost Tyson, suffered through so much—only for his whiny half-brother to get in the way. 

Percy felt a surge of strength, and he charged the monster. He jabbed and slashed and kicked. He felt like a storm, invincible and deadly. The next thing Percy knew, Polyphemus was sprawled on his back, dazed and groaning in pain. Percy stood above him, the tip of his sword poised over his big eye.

“Please nooo!” the cyclops moaned. His nose was bleeding, and he shed a tear from the corner of his eye. He begged through his sobs for Percy to let him go; his sheep needed him.

Just one strike and Percy won, just one…

_The sea isn’t merciful. Think of that when you go into battle._

“He’s a cyclops!” Grover warned. “Don’t trust him!”

But that’s the thing: Percy _did_ trust cyclops. Maybe Polyphemus was evil, but staring into his face, Percy saw Tyson, Elopo, the forgers…

They had all been nothing but kind to him. And this cyclops was his brother; what would Poseidon say if Percy killed him in cold blood?

So instead, he agreed with Polyphemus to only take the fleece and go.

“No!” Clarisse bellowed. “Kill him!”

Percy stepped back carefully.

_This is a mistake._

_No, it isn’t._

_I’m sorry, Triton._

As quick as lightning, the cyclops smacked him to the edge of the cliff.

“No one takes my fleece!” he roared.

  
  


. . .

A rock slammed at the giant, and he fell into the chasm.

Percy turned. Halfway down the beach stood Tyson.

“No one hurts my friends.”

Apparently, the hippocampus who had escorted him to Luke’s ship had found him in the wreckage of the CSS _Birmingham—_ they had been traveling through the Sea of Monsters ever since, until Tyson had found the island.

But Annabeth was hurt, so Percy cut the story short and told him to get the fleece from the tree surrounded by man-eating sheep. He was a cyclops, so the flock didn’t kill him on sight. He grabbed the fleece and waded back toward them.

“Tyson, throw it!”

Percy caught it in midair; it was heavier than expected, and spread it over Annabeth. He prayed to all the gods he could think of.

_Please. Please._

The color returned to her face. Her eyelids opened.

  
  


. . .

The ship was so close: only a few more strokes—

And they heard the roar of Polyphemus from the beach. He was still alive, and with a boulder in each hand.

Annabeth hung onto Clarisse’s neck, who was desperately paddling, while Polyphemus called to Tyson.

“Traitor! You were not raised right, my brother. And now you work for filthy humans!”

Tyson turned around. “I am not a traitor.”

The giant argued back and threw his first boulder, but Tyson swatted it aside. 

“Percy!” Clarisse yelled. “Come on!”

They were almost to the ship with the fleece.

“Go,” Tyson told him. “I will hold Big Ugly.”

“No! He’ll kill you.” Percy had already lost Tyson once. He wasn’t going to lose him again. He drew his sword. “We’ll fight him together.”

  
  


. . .

Percy willed the sea to rise; a wave lifted him on its crest, and as he got closer to the cyclops, he kicked him in the eye.

The sky darkened. Maybe it was his work, or maybe it was Poseidon’s. 

“Destroy you!” Polyphemus’ head went under by Percy’s will. He resurfaced, spluttering. “Fleece stealer!” 

“ _You_ stole the fleece! It’s luring satyrs to their deaths!”

“So?”

“The fleece should be used to heal. It belongs to the children of the gods!”

“ _I_ am a child of the gods.” He swiped at Percy, but he sidestepped. It looked like the monster could barely see, now.

“Poseidon won’t curse me. I’m his son and of his court. If anything, he’d curse _you.”_ He was being bold, but he didn’t care. “In any case, he won’t play favorites.”

Polyphemus grabbed an olive branch and swiped at where Percy had been. Then, he started calling for Tyson to help.

The young cyclops held out his hands. “Don’t fight, cyclops brother. Put that—”

Polyphemus spun and struck him with such force that it would’ve flattened Percy. 

That’s when Percy charged. He stabbed him in the back and dove away from most of the olive branches just in time, but still got raked by some. He was bruised and bleeding, but he had to keep fighting.

The cyclops swung the tree again, but this time, Percy grabbed hold of a branch and let it swing him higher, higher, until he landed atop the monster's big eye.

Polyphemus bellowed in pain. 

Tyson tackled him, and Percy landed next to him, sword in hand.

“Let him go,” Percy said. “Run.”

With one last mighty effort, Tyson pushed the cursing older Cyclops away, and they ran for the surf, Percy summoning a current to take them to the ship as quickly as possible.

  
  


. . .

Clarisse had been foolish to mock Polyphemus, because he could still fire rocks at them. Fortunately, hippocampi heard their cry for help as the ship began to sink.

Now, they were racing away from Polyphemus’ island while the cyclops whooped in triumph. Hopefully no one told him that they weren’t dead.

“Did it…” Annabeth muttered. “We…”

She slumped against the hippocampus’ neck and fell asleep. Percy propped up Annabeth so she wouldn’t fall off, covered her in the Golden Fleece, and said a silent prayer of thanks.

Which reminded him of how they’d retrieved it.

“You’re a genius,” Percy murmured to Annabeth quietly.

Then he rested his head against the Fleece, and before long, he was asleep, too.

  
. . .

The hippocampi couldn’t get closer to Miami coast; they’d told Percy it was because of the nasty humans, and he understood.

At the moment, Clarisse, Tyson, Grover, Annabeth, and Percy stood at the mortal city of Miami. It felt strange walking through crowds of people and watching cars go by. Like the first time he’d surfaced to land.

Annabeth read a newspaper, and she visibly paled. They had been away for ten days, but Percy wasn’t surprised by it. Time was different in monstrous places.

“We have to get the fleece back _tonight,”_ Grover said.

Clarisse seemed more upset than ever, and Percy realized that the quest was technically _hers._

 _She_ had to be the one to succeed. So Percy asked if anyone had money.

_To go to the airport you need money, right?_

Apparently Tyson had kept the mortal cash that Hermes had given them.

“Clarisse,” he said. “Come on, you need to go to the airport. Annabeth, give her the fleece.”

They all looked at Percy like he was crazy, but hesitantly, Clarisse called for a taxi and was off with the fleece.

“You’re too nice,” Annabeth mumbled.

“It’s her quest,” he said. “She deserves a chance.”

That’s when he turned and found a sword’s point at his throat. Luke smiled wickedly. 

“Hey, cuz. Welcome back to the States.”

  
  


. . .

The bear twins dragged them aboard the _Princess Andromeda._ Monsters of all types gathered to watch in front of the swimming pool and a sparkling fountain.

“Maybe you didn’t hear me.” Luke’s voice sounded dangerously calm. “Where. Is. The. Fleece?”

“Not here,” Percy said, relishing in throwing the truth at his face. “We sent it ahead of us.”

At first, Luke didn’t believe them, but then his face reddened. “... _Clarisse?”_

Percy nodded.   
Luke ordered his goons to bring him his steed so he could go to the airport. If he could manipulate Luke’s anger...get him to talk...

The fountain was making a rainbow, and at once an idea hit him.

“You’ve been toying with us all along,” Percy said. “You wanted us to bring you the Fleece and save you the trouble of getting it.”

Luke scowled. “Of course, you idiot! And you’ve messed everything up!”

“Traitor!” He dug for the last gold drachma out of his pocket and threw it at Luke. As expected, he dodged it easily. The coin sailed into the spray of rainbow-colored water.

 _O goddess accept my offering._ He hoped it still counted if he said it in his mind.

“You tricked all of us!” Percy yelled at Luke. “Even DIONYSUS at CAMP HALF-BLOOD!”

The fountain shimmered, but before the monsters noticed this, Percy uncapped riptide.

Luke sneered at him.

“Who poisoned Thalia’s tree, Luke?”

He snarled, “I did. I already told you that. I used elder python venom.”

“Chiron had nothing to do with it?”

“That fool is too weak to even try.”

“Endangering camp and betraying your friends is a strength, then?”

Percy kept it on, making Luke confess about Kronos. 

“And so you poisoned the tree, you betrayed Thalia, you set us up—all to help Kronos destroy the gods.”

Luke gritted his teeth. “You know that! Why do you keep asking me?”

“Because I need the audience to hear you.”

Luke narrowed his eyes and whirled around along with his goons. They gasped and stumbled in surprise.

The campers in the dining pavilion blinked back owlishly. “Well,” Dionysus said drily. “What a surprise.”

But Mr. D understood. He glanced at Tantalus distastefully.

“I suppose the centaur has nothing to do with it. Chiron may be reconstituted. We are no longer in need of your services, Tantalus.”

Tantalus looked stunned. “But—”

“You may return to the Underworld. You are dismissed.”

His eyes widened, but soon enough, all that was left was an uneaten loaf of bread.

Luke slashed at the fountain, the IM dissolving. He gave Percy a murderous look. “Kronos was right. You’re an unreliable weapon, Percy. You need to be replaced.”

  
  


. . .

Oreius had brought Luke a pure black pegasus. The winged horse struggled against the giant, cursing and bucking. To test Luke and bide Clarisse time, Percy had challenged him to a duel. 

Luke was trapped; he couldn’t be seen as weak in front of his men, so he’d agreed.

He had a shield and a one-handed sword, while Percy fought with only Riptide. 

_I just have to make it work,_ Percy thought as he parried Luke’s attacks. When Luke lunged again, Percy imagined hands coming out of the pool. They pushed Luke away, making him land on his back. Percy came at him with his sword, but Luke met his strike just in time.

He stood up and Percy backed to the pool, parrying every strike. He could hear Triton’s voice, telling him what move to do next.

There was a flash of worry on Luke’s face, but he narrowed his eyes and kept attacking. Percy swiped at Luke’s arm, Luke grazed his chest. He could already feel the warm sensation of blood.

 _Come on. Kill that bitch,_ the black ppegasus said in his mind.

Percy smirked. He’d reached the water. 

Just as Luke realized his mistake, his feet went under with a splash. The tug on Percy’s gut intensified as he pushed more water over Luke, his head going under. 

_The sea is never merciful. The sea is never merciful._

Luke deserved this. Deserved to drown slowly. In the back of his mind, he could hear the monsters calling for their master.

 _See, brother?_ Percy watched with satisfaction as the traitor struggled for a breath, but Percy would not give it to him. _I will not hesitate this time._

“Percy!” Annabeth called out. He realized she had been shouting at him for some time. She looked horrified. Her eyes were wide, tears streaming out of them. “Don’t do this! This isn’t you!”

“You don’t know me! He deserves every inch of torture for betraying you!” But Percy receded the pull in his gut anyway, breathing heavily.

“I know you enough to know that your _mom_ wouldn’t want this for you.” He cast a glance at his friends; they all had the same expression.

Annabeth’s eyes searched him desperately. Above her, the bear twins growled, ready to eat them at any moment. 

If he let go now, they would die. But if he didn’t, Luke would die, and maybe the rest of his army would avenge him and kill Percy with his friends.

_Let go._

_Let go._

He wasn’t sure where the voice had come from.

He let go. 

_It’s for the best, Triton. We might die otherwise._

_You might have died anyway. But at least you would have killed the traitor._

Percy looked up and found the Pegasus looking at him. He neighed angrily, wanting Percy to kill Luke.

But he didn’t. Luke spluttered and choked for breath. Percy could’ve stabbed him, as well; Luke was too weak to move. Maybe _Percy_ was the one too weak to make the killing blow, but maybe that was also a strength, as well.

He glowered at Percy, water pouring from his face. Luke took shaky breaths and slowly pointed a finger towards him. “Kill…kill.” 

_Whish._

An arrow sprouted from Oreius’ mouth, and the monster crumpled to dust. After that, all chaos broke loose.

  
  


. . .

Chiron’s brethren, the party ponies, had come to the rescue. They’d completely surprised Luke’s army. And with their help, Percy and his friends were traveling across land, faster than he’d imagined possible for centaurs.

After a while, they stopped at the edge of a lake. 

“So what now?” he asked Chiron. “We just let Luke sail away? He’s got parts of, um, grandfather aboard that ship.”

“He might’ve not been,” Chiron said, kneeling down and treating Percy’s wounds.

Percy glanced at Annabeth. She was ripping out little pieces of grass, avoiding his gaze. “I could’ve killed him, I know.”

A deep silence followed.

“But...the important thing is that we got the fleece,” Grover said nervously.

Annabeth looked up, grateful Grover had changed the subject. “Yes, the fleece! Clarisse is on her way to camp right now.”

Chiron nodded, though he still looked uneasy. Maybe he was upset that Percy _hadn’t_ killed Luke. His brother would’ve been, at least. Hell, even the _pegasus_ was disappointed. “You are all true heroes. And as soon as we get Percy fixed up, you must return to Half-Blood Hill. The centaurs shall carry you.”

  
  


. . .

Chiron snatched Anaklusmos, and before Percy could protest, the centaur pointed it at him. “Celestial bronze, Percy. An immortal weapon. What would happen if you shot this at a human?”

“Nothing,” he said. “It would pass right through.”

“That’s right,” Chiron said. “Humans don’t exist on the same level as the immortals. They can’t even be hurt by our weapons. But you, Percy—you exist in both worlds. You’re part god, part human. You can be hurt by both and affect both. You fight the battles humanity must win and can challenge anyone, go anywhere. The gods envy you because of that. Heroes fight for every generation, a fire that burns bright and helps humanity keep its monsters at bay. Do you understand? That’s why you must help to destroy this threat, not the other way around.”

  
  


. . .

The camp had been through hard times. Clarisse arrived at the same time as the centaurs, and now everyone was crowding around Thalia’s tree, weary and battered. 

She gently draped the fleece over a branch, and instantly Percy felt the nature magic do its work. After Chiron ordered a strict guard duty for the fleece, Clarisse was carried by her siblings towards the amphitheater where she’d be awarded with a laurel wreath and a celebration.

Nobody glanced Percy or Annabeth’s way, as if they’d never left. He thought it for the best, though, because technically they hadn’t been allowed to leave camp.

  
  


. . .

“Hey, um, Annabeth,” Percy said, sitting down next to her in the amphitheater. She had been mostly alone—watching the fire with a serious expression—when she turned to face him.

Annabeth gave him a small smile. The firelight made shadows across her face. “Having fun here?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I think I’m really warming up to this camp.”

She nodded, but her expression was forced. 

“Look, I—I wanted to talk to you...about Luke.”

She regarded him. “What about it?”

“You were scared. And...I’m sorry about that. About wanting to kill him.”

Annabeth looked down at the ground, like she was trying hard not to cry. “It’s fine. Just didn’t know you could do that.”

“It’s just that…” Percy sighed. “He was always there for you, and all of a sudden he betrays you and wants to kill everyone at camp. He doesn’t even care if Kronos kills you, and—”

“Like I said.” She wiped her eyes. “It’s fine. I _know_ you’re powerful and—and maybe you don’t know when to stop, but...I’m glad you did, in the end. You were just trying to do the right thing, and he would’ve killed you instead. I get it.”

Percy shook his head. “No, but I upset you. I upset you and the rest. And I didn’t like that.”

“Then don’t do it again.”

There was a pregnant pause. He thought about the simplicity of her words. He was still just a kid, not ready for any of this. There would come a day when he would be, but not at the moment. “Okay. You..want a marshmallow? They’re so weird and squishy. I don’t get how you land people like them.”

She smiled for real this time. “Sure thing, Seaweed Brain.”

  
  


. . .

Chiron announced that the chariot races would go ahead as scheduled. This time, he’d teamed up with Annabeth. Tyson was only too happy to work as their pit crew while they took the reins.

They’d trained harder than they had previously, ready to win the race. Before it began, Tyson gave Percy a small bracelet.

“It’s what I was working on,” he said.

It didn’t look like much, but still Percy accepted it. 

“Sorry I didn’t finish in time for the trip. Press the button for protection in race.”

“Ah, okay.” It didn’t make much sense to him, but he was touched by Tyson’s concern. “And, um, Tyson.” The cyclops looked at Percy. “I wanted to say that…”

He wasn’t sure how to phrase that he wanted to apologize for being embarrassed about him.

“I know what you’re going to tell me,” Tyson said. “You were right about Poseidon caring for me.”

“Uh, well—”

“He sent you to help me. Just like I’d asked.”

Percy blinked. “Poseidon sent me...because you asked him to?”

Tyson twisted his shirt in his hands. “For a friend. Cyclops grow up in the streets. We learn to make scraps out of things. To survive.”

“But that’s so cruel!”

“No, it is not.” He shook his head earnestly. “It makes us appreciate things, not become like mean Polyphemus. But monsters chased me, they clawed at me—”

“Like the scars on your back?” Percy didn’t mean to blurt it out, but he supposed it was something he wanted to know.

“A sphinx,” Tyson sniffled. “Big bully. I prayed to daddy for help, and he sent you. Sorry I said Poseidon was mean. He gave me a brother.”

Percy didn’t know what to say, he stared at the bracelet Tyson had made.

“Percy, come on!” Annabeth called. The race was about to begin.

  
  


. . .

They’d won. It had been obvious from the start: Poseidon, father of horses, and Athena, creator of the chariot—working together. Tyson’s bracelet, to Percy’s discovery, had been a shield, and that had also been useful in beating the rest.

Loud cheering broke through as they spurred the horses across the finish line. Percy and Annabeth’s friends gathered around, chanting their names. 

But over the noise, Annabeth yelled, “Everyone, listen! It wasn’t just us!”

The crowd kept hollering, refusing to be quiet, but Annabeth persisted and managed to amplify her voice.

“We couldn’t have won this race or gotten the Fleece or saved Grover or anything without somebody else! We owe our lives to Tyson, Percy’s…”

“Brother!” Percy yelled. “Tyson, my baby brother!”

Tyson blushed. The crowd cheered even louder when Annabeth planted a kiss on his cheek. Percy’s face heated up as well, but he didn’t have the time to process it, because the entire Athena cabin lifted them on their shoulders to where Chiron was waiting, laurel wreaths in hand.

  
  


. . .

Life was good at camp. Percy had finally realized how much the place had become a second home to him. Because Grover had survived Polyphemus and cleared the way for future searchers, the council had granted him a two-month furlough.

But he said that they’d given Grover the summer off, so Percy spent his days with the satyr—now one of his closest friends—and they talked about “pop culture,” which Percy had no idea such a term existed.

He learned many songs and things about land from Grover. Percy was still getting the hang of shoes in the first place, so having someone help him out more was a relief. One day in the strawberry fields, Grover offered to cut their empathy link, now that they could communicate face to face, but Percy declined.

“But if something happens to me, you’ll be in danger, Perce! You could die!”

“If you’re in trouble, I want to know about it so I can come and help. We’re in this together, now.”

  
  


. . .

Tyson was evidently enjoying camp as much as Percy now that he was treated like the hero he was. As they sat in the sand dunes that afternoon, he asked Percy curiously:

“How is daddy’s palace?”

He was only too happy to talk about it with his younger brother. “...and there’s these huge pillars close to my room where I used to hide behind when I played hide and seek with my old friend Timmy. He’s a shark. Anyway, I think my favorite part would be the game room. Aw, man, I used to have so much fun there.”

Tyson nodded excitedly.

“Why do you ask?”

“Because I got a dream from daddy. He asked me to go for the summer underwater to work on the forges.”

“Seriously? That’s great, big guy. Elopo is so cool. You’re going to love it there, and maybe we’ll see each other.”

“Yeah,” he sighed happily.

“When will you leave?”

“Now.”

“Like... _now_ now? _”_

“Now.”

  
  


. . . 

Percy’s dreams were still restless. All of them were about Kronos, taunting him about false victory. The dream changed, and he was in the court of Poseidon, everything bathed in blue.

And there was the Sea God, sitting proudly on his throne with his trident in hand. 

Percy looked into his father’s deep gaze, burning through the dream; the god spoke two words: _Brace yourself._

There was a banging at the cabin door, and before he was fully awake, Grover barged inside. “Percy!” he stammered. “On the hill...Annabeth...she…”

The look in Grover’s eyes said it all. Oh, gods. Annabeth had been on guard duty that night. What if she—

He ripped off the covers and bolted out the door, Grover right on his heels.

  
  


. . .

The fleece had done its work too well. When they arrived at Half Blood Hill, breathless, they were met by the sight of Annabeth crying; holding a girl in her arms.

Percy ran toward the unconscious girl, ignoring Chiron’s warning cry. 

He knelt by her side. She had short raven hair and freckles across her pale face. She looked so familiar to Percy, but at the same time he had the feeling that he’d never seen her before in his life…

“It’s true,” Grover gasped. “I can’t believe…”

Percy put a hand on the girl’s forehead. Her skin felt cold to the touch. “She needs nectar and ambrosia!”

_I guess no one’s going to do anything._

So he grabbed her by the shoulders and hauled her up. “Come on! What’s wrong with you people? Let’s get her to the Big House.” 

Everyone was too stunned to move.

Then the girl coughed, and her eyes fluttered open. They were electric blue. Percy had seen eyes like those before…

“Who—”

“I’m Percy. You’re safe now.”

“Strangest dream...dying,” she mumbled.

Percy shook his head and reassured her that she was alright. “What’s your name?”

He knew before she said it, somehow. Percy understood what they were playing at. That’s why Kronos had poisoned the tree. So he could still have a chance at controlling the prophecy.

“I am Thalia,” she said. “Daughter of Zeus.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is from the song Flesh and Blood by The Killers. This chapter was interesting for me bc Percy has a taste of his “dark” side, I guess? It just makes sense that being raised the way he has been, that he’d be more bitter, and Kronos would be more hopeful of Percy joining him. Alas, that was not the case haha, but lmk what y’all think! Hopefully I update next week, but we shall see. Writer’s block is kinda hitting me again, but I already have another chapter written, so.


	7. in the deep

_Five months later_.

  
  


.

Atlantis hadn’t been the same as the last year before Percy had gone to Camp Half-Blood. It wasn’t the good different, either, because he’d heard that there was some sort of “Great Stirring,” or whatever court called it. Triton and the other trained warriors would leave the palace and come back the next morning, faces grim.

All Percy was sure of was this: there were more sea monsters than ever before, and it had to do with Kronos.

The courtiers and dignitaries would glance his way, whisper like they always did. He also knew what they were thinking. The Great Prophecy was starting, and Percy felt miserable because he knew it was true. Only this time, there was another piece to play. 

Thalia.

Oh, they knew about her, as well. And no one liked it one bit, least of all Poseidon. He didn’t want to know what would happen next summer now that Thalia was alive, insufferable as ever.

Percy thought about this as he absentmindedly read the schedule of the day. For the first time in what felt like forever, Triton accompanied him, lounging in one of the giant seashells and making weird-shaped bubbles. It was good that for once he had the day off.

That’s when an image appeared out of the water. 

An Iris Message. 

As Percy watched, the image morphed into Annabeth, which wasn’t very surprising. He and Annabeth had been exchanging calls for the last couple of months, though it had been highly frowned upon by the palace. 

“Hey, Seaweed Brain,” she said. She had her curly blonde hair up in a messy bun and a large sweater that almost engulfed her. He’d forgotten that it was winter. Being in the sea made him immune to that sort of thing.

What _did_ surprise Percy was that she looked to be in the Big House, and sitting next to her was…

“Oh, look. Doing some of your princely duties, _Seaweed Brain?”_ Thalia smirked, eyeing Percy’s surroundings.

He rolled his eyes. “Nobody can call me that except Annabeth.”

“Whatever, loser.”

 _That Zeus’ bastard?_ Triton asked in Percy’s mind, not glancing up from the giant bubble he was creating. 

_Unfortunately_.

_Oh, and I heard a familiar voice. Your girlfriend there, as well?_

“She’s not my girlfriend!” Percy hissed. 

“What was that, Percy?” Annabeth furrowed her brow in confusion.

“Uh...nothing.”

Triton grinned at Percy, flicking his eyebrows mockingly. _Wait ‘till dad hears about this._

_Shut up. She’s just a friend._

“Anyway, I’m with Triton.” Percy popped his brother’s bubble with a wave of his hand. “Say hi, Bitch.”

Annabeth and Thalia both looked at each other warily. Percy had learned that they had their own language that he’d never be able to understand. He got along fine with Thalia, but he’d be lying if he said that their personalities didn’t clash from time to time. Not to mention the unidentified feeling that bubbled in Percy’s gut every time he saw Annabeth and Thalia hanging out together like a couple of best friends, as if the daughter of Zeus was never gone. Their secret language was one example of this.

Triton raised an eyebrow and got into the image view. “Hey...Annabelle, right?”

Annabeth played with a stray curl nervously. Percy had told her some things about Triton but had never introduced them. “It’s Annabeth.”

Triton grinned. “Percy’s told me a lot about you.” Annabeth blushed.

_Don’t say that!_

He waved Percy off. 

“And…” The merman regarded Thalia with much more coldness; in return, she wore her neutral expression. “Zeus’ kid. Thalia, right? Sorry but your dad is a touchy subject for me. Hope that’s okay.”

“I get that a lot,” Thalia said, pointedly looking at Percy.

His older brother snorted. “Well, if you’re not so shitty, then maybe it’ll be cool with me. Maybe.” 

“Look, we don’t have much time,” Annabeth said forcefully. “Grover just called. That’s why we’re at camp. Says he’s found two powerful half-bloods and needs help.” Annabeth stared at Percy. “He asked for you to come, as well.” 

“Like...right now?” Percy asked.

The girls looked at one another again. “Yes. Right now,” Annabeth said.

“So, where is he?” 

“Bar Harbor, Maine.”

“Oh, that place is _so_ gloomy,” Triton chimed in. “And it’s kinda far from New York.”

Percy glared at his brother, so he’d shut up. Triton was probably doing this to annoy him, the little shit.

“No, um, he’s right,” Thalia said. “We were thinking of going on a bus or something. But Percy, you have to come. Now.”

“Hey, wait a sec. No one can drive you there?” Triton asked.

“Argus can’t at the moment,” said Annabeth.

The merman was silent for a moment, but then said, “I could drive.”

“There’s no need, Lord—”

“Because I heard there’s a snowstorm. Khione bragged about it today. You won’t go anywhere in that kind of weather without someone who has supervision as we gods do. Besides, my car is faster than some other mortal transportation. I’m not busy, anyway.”

Percy stared at his brother in shock. “Wait, but what about that ceremony thing with the ichthyocentaurs?”

“Eh, dad will understand. I can still split my consciousness, you know. Besides, if they’re asking for your help, then you gotta go.” 

“...Okay,” said Annabeth, while Thalia stared oddly at Triton. They were probably not used to having gods offer to help them, but this was Percy’s brother. Triton got bored easily, so it wasn’t strange to him.

“If you really want to escort us there, Lord Triton, we need you and Percy to meet us at the camp border,” said Thalia.

  
  
  


_Then._

The equinox feast was as lively as ever. The ocean’s power was the weakest during that time, so the people of Atlantis took advantage of this to relax for at least two weeks. Relaxing, for most of the kingdom, meant a big feast that lasted two weeks. 

Naturally, Percy only enjoyed it for the food. Otherwise, he much rather preferred to swim with the whales that arrived once every year.

Across the abalone table, Percy watched as Triton laughed at something Thetis, his stepmother’s sister, had said. Percy knew people were always thrilled when the “Little Prince” was present, and the feast wasn’t so bad, but all he could think about was how his brother was mad at him. Probably because Percy had told Poseidon that a pod of dolphins had been killed because of fishermen and Triton hadn’t broken the news because he’d been busy partying with some nymphs.

But it was bothering Percy more than he’d like to admit.

A dogfish shark was speaking to him, something about the ocean feeling too cold for the time of year, (he was probably responsible for that because of his mishap with controlling the northern currents, but Percy wasn’t really paying attention), when somebody from behind cleared their throat.

The small shark glanced over and stopped what she’d been recounting. “My Princess!” the shark exclaimed in surprise. 

It was none other than Rhode. She floated behind them, in all her perfect glory with her raven locks free and a delicate crown made of seashells resting atop her head. She smiled, a goblet in hand. It looked like the type of smile that would win the heart of anyone, but Percy knew better. Her expression was forced as if the shark was in her way.

“Would you excuse us?” she asked, her coldness showing. 

The shark left with a hasty, “Of course,” but not without bowing down reverently at the two. 

A few seconds passed in silence with the siblings watching everyone laugh and dine. “The people love you, you know,” she finally said.

Percy shook his head, still eyeing the whereabouts of his older brother. “Not everyone.”

Rhode gazed at Triton as well, understanding. “No,” she mused. “Not everyone. But Triton isn’t one of them.”

He raised an eyebrow, but quickly stopped himself and scowled; Triton did that, as well. “Oh, so you know of others who don’t like me?” 

The princess cocked her head. “You’ll know someday. But for the most part, you are beloved by all, though sired out of wedlock. Very few courtiers actually care about that, knowing how father is...And with the business of Triton.” She sighed. “He means well. But he’s never been liked very much. Even though he’s the heir, but _you,_ little brother—mortal or not—I have a feeling you’ll be remembered for millennia, and you’re _nine_ for gods’ sake. _He’s_ only remembered because of some Disney movie that made him look like a crazy old king. He’s especially jealous that they named a state after me, and it isn’t even an island like the original.” Rhode smirked at Triton.

Percy frowned. “What’s a Disney movie?”

Rhode was still shaking her head and murmuring about never letting Triton forget it.

“Hmm?” she said. “Oh, that. You’ll know someday, little brother. Anyway, he’s just mad at you. It’ll pass like the time he saw you for the first time. Flipped his shit about having you in the palace.” 

She held out a hand when she saw Percy open his mouth. 

“Don’t worry. Triton would probably kill himself if something happened to you now, that little runt. He doesn’t train anyone, you know. He just likes to keep the stony exterior because of his ego.” 

Rhode took a sip out of her goblet. “Frankly, I see it runs in the family.”

Percy glanced at Triton again, and this time, he returned his gaze. Like Rhode had said, his expression was steely and cold, but he softened slightly when the princess gave him a little wave.

Rhode snorted. “See, he cares. Now maybe you should go apologize.” He raised an eyebrow at her again. “Oh, don’t give me that look. Gossip is my specialty.”

Percy’s mouth twitched. “Alright, Miss Princess,” he said, earning a small shove. “Yeah, yeah. I will.”

  
  


_Now._

The second they were in the car, Percy knew it was a bad idea. It took them about thirty minutes to go from New York to Maine when, according to Annabeth, it would’ve taken four hours, but it still felt eternal—especially with Triton using the time to recount every embarrassing story about Percy. He had half a mind to jump out of the car at the next red light.

“I could transport you there in less time, but eh, I don’t feel like it. So you better suck it up,” Triton told him.

“You’re truly okay with being here, Lord Triton?” Annabeth inquired. 

His brother glanced at their reflection through the rearview mirror. “It’s just Triton. And I love a moment to escape the formalities of court. Even though part of me is still in the palace.” 

The girls looked at Percy, giving him a silent message. _That bad?_ they seemed to ask.

He shook his head. “You have no idea,” he muttered.

“And if you’re wondering what I think of you two,” Triton continued, “like I said, it’s no biggie. Athena and I go way back. She’s practically a daughter to me.”

Annabeth smiled. Percy was horrified to see that she was warming up to him. “Ah, yes. I remember now. Your daughter was Pallas and she and my mom were trained by you, right?”

“Mmhmm. Loved her like a daughter. I was probably more of a father figure to her than her actual dad. During that athletics festival, Zeus got jealous that Pallas was winning the friendly spar between her and Athena, the petty bitch.”

On cue, thunder boomed outside. Triton waved a hand at it as if he didn’t care.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, Uncle. I’m telling the story as it happened. Anyway, he distracted her with Aegis, and she was so stunned, that Athena impaled her accidentally. Very unfortunate, that. I never put that against Athena, but she could never truly forgave herself.”

Annabeth nodded along. “Yes, and that’s why my mom goes by Pallas Athena. She honored your daughter that way. And I think she made her a statue,” she said, while Thalia averted her eyes. Percy remembered how she possessed Aegis at the moment.

Triton pointed a finger at Annabeth. “You know what, I like this one, Perce. Good choice.”

She looked at Percy with confusion as he tried not to feel embarrassed. “Just ignore him.”

“And you, Thalia, don’t take this the wrong way, but I’ve decided that I don’t like you. It’s not personal or anything, but see you got Aegis _and_ you’re a daughter of Zeus. That doesn’t sit right with me.”

Thalia raised an eyebrow, she’d been calm for most of the ride, but Percy could see that Triton was getting on her nerves. “I don’t care. Honestly, I thought you’d be like, old with white hair. I mean, down underwater you were green and now you’re normal, but I really thought you’d be like in The Little Mermaid.” She shrugged, fighting back a smirk and ignoring Percy’s kick in the shin. “Kinda disappointing.”

Percy could visibly see Triton tensing, his hands on the wheel tightening. “Oh you do not talk to me like that, young lady.” His brother’s voice was dangerously calm. “If I had my way—”

“Hey, look!” Annabeth said with forced enthusiasm. “We’re here. _Westover Hall._ Yep. Definitely here. Thank you so much Lor—er, I mean Triton for helping us. We are forever in your debt.”

His easy smile came up again. “Ah, it was nothing, Annie.” This made Annabeth frown. Percy tried not to snicker. “You all take care. And if this motherfucker is being especially annoying to you—” Triton adressed Annabeth and pointed at Percy, making him protest.

“...Then you call me, okay?” He winked at her, which made her blush.

“Alright, we’re out!” Percy opened the car door, and Thalia was only too happy to follow through.

  
  


. . .

Westover Hall was bigger than he’d thought; dark towers rising high into the cloudy sky topped with snow overlooking the churning ocean below. To Percy it looked like an evil lair. How horrifying that land people sent their children to these dungeon-like places.

“Your brother’s pretty cool,” Annabeth said.

He turned to her, unimpressed. “ _Please_ tell me you don’t have a crush on him.”

He’d seen that same look in plenty of girls—and guys for that matter. It was just his luck that Annabeth had given in to Triton’s “charms” or whatever.

Her cheeks flared an ugly shade of red and her mouth flew open. “I do _not!”_ She sighed. “...Okay. Maybe he’s kinda cute, so what?” He tried not to gag, ignoring the weird feeling churning in his stomach. “But I’m just saying! It’s cool that he helps you out and stuff.”

“...I guess.”

Thalia was still scowling and shaking her head. “I was really giving him a chance. But he didn’t like me much, anyway. Not that I give a fuck. But as a brother, he doesn’t seem so bad.”

“It hasn’t always been like that,” Percy said, “I mean, I don’t think you’d understand; I’m pretty sure you don’t have siblings, aside from like, the obvious ones, right?”

Her face darkened and she gave him the evil eye. “You’re right. I don’t.”

Annabeth told them to hurry; Grover was waiting, but Percy still called out to Thalia, “You shouldn’t have said anything about that movie, though! He fucking hates it and that was the last straw.”

Thalia stopped walking and grinned at him, her demeanor completely changing. “Oh, you _need_ to watch it. It’ll probably be the funniest shit to you. And it’s not my fault I actually thought he’d look old or something.”

“Touchy subject.”

“Whatever.”

  
  


. . .

After getting past the weird monster Dr. Thorne and the lost mortal teacher, the three demigods staggered behind Grover. The place was immense from inside, too. Boys and girls his age danced and played around while loud music echoed across the room. It was all very strange to Percy.

“So...what are we looking for?” he asked.

“Two half bloods. A brother and a sister. They smell pretty powerful,” Grover said.

Percy scrunched up his eyebrows. “But why are they here?”

Thalia snorted. “Unlike you sea prince types, us land people have to go to school where monsters chase after you.”

“Oh. Right, forgot about that.”

Grover turned to face him. “My job is to protect half bloods. Remember?”

  
  


. . .

Nico and Bianca di Angelo didn’t look like much. They stood in the corner, arguing about something and using their hands a lot. They did look like siblings, what with the dark hair and olive skin. Percy could tell that Bianca also sensed something off about Dr. Thorne, because she kept glancing over, hiding her face in her cap.

Before Percy could run up to them, Thalia caught him by the shoulder. Dr. Thorne’s unnerving stare seemed to pierce through them; he hadn’t bought the trick with the mist Thalia had pulled off.

“Don’t look at the kids,” she ordered. “We need to pretend we’re not interested in them. Confuse the monster.”

“How?”

“Our scent should throw him off. Act natural. I don’t know, do some dancing. But watch the kids.”

“Dancing?” Annabeth asked. 

Thalia nodded. She cocked her ear to the music and made a face. “Ugh. Who chose Jesse McCartney?”

“Jesse McCartney? Oh I know him! Grover showed me some of his music.” Percy was glad that he’d finally remembered something about “singers”, but Thalia just glanced at Grover like she’d tasted something sour.

“You chose this song?”

Grover looked hurt. “...Yeah.”

“Oh my gods, Grover. That is so lame. Why don’t they put Green Day, or something?” Then she eyed Percy. “Remind me to teach you some _real_ music.”

Grover now had a lost expression. “Green who?”

Thalia rolled her eyes and dragged him to the dance floor anyway, ignoring the satyr’s protests about not knowing how to dance.

When they were gone, Annabeth smiled and shook her head. It had been a long time since she’d seen her, but Percy could tell that Annabeth had grown this past couple of months. For one thing, she was now taller than him. 

_Again._

And she wore her blonde hair down and had these new owl earrings, which made her look older for some reason. He noticed he had been staring when Annabeth stopped talking about her school project she was doing of an architecture thing.

Percy blinked. “Um, cool. Cool. So you’re staying there for the rest of the year?...Is that how schools work?”

Her face darkened. 

“Well, maybe, if I don’t—”

Thalia interrupted her, calling to them that they needed to dance. Grover was tripping over his hooves and looking ready to die, but at least he had an excuse for being clumsy. Grover had fake feet. Percy did not.

“Well?” Annabeth said.

“Um, who should I ask?”

She punched him in the gut. “Me, Seaweed Brain.”

“Oh. Oh, right.”

Percy looked over to see how Thalia and Grover were doing things. He put one hand on Annabeth’s hip, and she clasped his other hand. 

_Is this how you’re supposed to—_

“I’m not going to bite,” she said. “Honestly, Percy. Haven’t you danced before? Royal prince and all?”

He shrugged and tried not to step on her feet, which was an epic fail. “Kinda. But never like this.”

He was suddenly hyper-aware of their close proximity and hoped his face wasn't as red as it felt. To distract himself, Percy asked her what she’d been talking about earlier.

“It’s my dad,” she sighed. “He decided to move.”

“Move where? Like move out of your way?”

Annabeth snorted. “No, Seaweed Brain. Move to another city. San Francisco to be exact. And he _knows_ I can’t go there. But nooo, that’s where his stupid new job is.”

“San Francisco?”

“It’s in the other side of the country. And half bloods can’t live there,” she said miserably.

“Why not?”

Annabeth rolled her eyes. Maybe she’d forgotten that Percy's knowledge of cities was limited. “You know. It’s _right there_.”

“Oh.” He had no idea what she was talking about. “So…you’ll go back to living at camp or what?”

“It’s more serious than that, Percy. I…I probably should tell you something.” Suddenly she froze. “They’re gone.”

“What?”

Percy followed her gaze. The bleachers. The kids were gone; all that was left was Bianca’s green cap.

Annabeth ran through the crowd, looking for Thalia and Grover. Percy was about to follow, but something stopped him. They would take too long—and as he scanned the room, Percy saw Dr. Thorne escorting the kids into a door on the opposite end of the room. 

Percy ran for the door instead. He could do this without Thalia’s help, thank you very much.

  
  


. . .

He underestimated the monster. Too late, because Percy realized that Nico and Bianca weren’t scared of _him_ —but rather, of the monster in the dark.

_Whish._

Pain exploded on his shoulder; a sharp point had him pinned against the wall. Dr. Thorne grinned, coming out of the shadows.

“Yes, Perseus _Jackson._ Such a valuable little son of Poseidon.”

Percy tried to swing his sword at the monster, but it was just out of reach, and his arm was growing weaker. Poison was seeping inside him, Percy could feel it.

Bianca cried for help, but Dr. Thorne threw a sharp point her way. She yelped. It barely impaled her face.

“Little girl, you do that again and I’ll show you just how well my aim is, understood? Now all of you, come. Quietly.”

  
  


. . .

Percy tried to concentrate on the empathy link, calling Grover for help. In the meantime, Thorne was talking to them about some sort of ride.

“Where are you taking us?” Bianca demanded.

“Silence, you insufferable girl!”

“Don’t talk to my sister that way!” Nico said. His voice quivered, but Percy was impressed that he had the guts to say anything at all.

They stopped by the side of a cliff, mist and darkness engulfing them. The sea was down below. He could sense the waves churning, even though they were very high up.

A steady sound could be heard from the distance, getting closer and closer by the minute.

  
  


. . .

A manticore. It had to be a fucking manticore. 

“Come on. We have to jump off the cliff,” Percy whispered to Bianca. “To the sea. My father will protect us.”

“I see that you’re completely nuts, too.”

Before he could argue, an invisible force slammed into him. Annabeth. His friends were here.

The manticore was taken by surprise, so the volley of missiles didn’t hit them, giving Grover and Thalia time to advance. Percy tried not to cower at the sight of her shield, Aegis.

Thalia yelled a battle cry, moving in with her spear. But Dr.Thorne only growled and swatted it aside. He began to transform into the lion-like creature that he was. Thalia quickly rolled away as one of his paws struck the earth where she’d just been standing.

The sound from the cliffs was getting louder, and Percy realized that it had to be some sort of mortal flying machine.

The fight continued. With its leathery tail, the manticore sprung missiles, but Thalia deflected them with Aegis. From farther away, Grover played a quick tune that entangled the monster with grass. 

Annabeth’s invisibility cap came off, and Percy could see that she’d been standing in front of them.

“Who are you people?” Bianca screamed. “And what is _that?_ ”

“A manticore!” Nico gasped, moony-eyed. “It’s got three thousand attack power and plus five saving throws!”

He didn’t know what the kid was talking about—and didn’t have time to think about it, because the next second they were on the ground. Percy unraveled Tyson’s shield just in time.

The thorns made impact, damaging the gift from his brother.

It wasn’t going well from there. Grover was on the ground as well, and Thalia was losing her fight. The flying thing was so close now, that the lights reflected off of the snow.

Thalia was flung aside. They were trapped.

Suddenly, a piercing howl cut the air, and Dr.Thorne froze. In a millisecond, a silver arrow sprouted from his neck.

Thorne seemed to know exactly who it was, because his eyes shone with fear. He let loose a volley of missiles, but they were intercepted by the same arrows.

That’s when the archers came from the woods. They were all girls, armed with bows. White wolves stood by their sides.

“The hunters!” Annabeth cried.

Thalia muttered a curse.

A dark-skinned girl came forward. She looked like one of the oldest, tall and graceful with a silver criclet on top of her raven hair. She glanced at the ginger-haired girl next to her. 

“Permission to kill, my lady?”

The other girl looked younger, but her face was stern and serious. Percy got the feeling that she was their leader.

The manticore protested. But whatever he’d said, the hunters would not care less.

“Permission granted, Zoë.”

Dr. Thorne growled, lunging for Percy and Thalia, but Annabeth intercepted with a cry and jumped on its back.

“Get back, half blood!” Zoë ordered. “We are about to fire!”

But Annabeth didn’t listen, plunging her knife into the monster’s back. It roared, trying to get her to fall; she hung on for dear life.

Percy could only watch in horror as the hunters let their arrows fly. The manticore wailed, staggering backward. “This is not the end, Huntress! You shall pay!”

The monster leaped over the cliff with Annabeth on his back, tumbling into the darkness below.

“ _No!_ Annabeth!” Percy raced to the edge of the cliff, but tiny holes appeared in the snow. The mortals overhead were not done.

The ginger-haired girl looked calmly at the machine. “Mortals,” she said, “are not to witness my hunt.”

She clapped her hands, and the machine exploded into millions of frightened ravens.

Percy didn’t care about any of that, not while Annabeth was down there. She could die, or _would_. Percy had to save her. He stumbled toward the edge, but two hunters held him down.

“Let me go!” he yelled, struggling against them. “As the Prince of Atlantis, I command you to let me go!”

“We don’t listen to males,” one of them bit back, snidely.

“I’m sorry, Perseus, but your friend is beyond help,” said the goddess. That girl _had_ to be a goddess.

“But Annabeth! She—”

“You are in no condition to fling yourself off a cliff. That maiden fought bravely—”

 _Bullshit,_ he thought as he flung himself into the abyss. The ocean would protect him, after all. The last thing Percy heard were the cries of his friends from above and then—

_Whoosh!_

Bubbles engulfed him. The icy shock was almost enough for him to pass out, but he gathered his senses and swam ashore. 

Everywhere Percy looked, there was darkness, rocks, wind. But no sign of Annabeth. He let out a frustrated scream. This could _not_ be happening. Not to his best friend. 

Suddenly, all Percy could see was a bright light. Warmth flooded inside of him. He heard the rumble of some engine, and a man’s voice calling his name.

Could this be…?

Percy dared to hope.

_Annabeth._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is by far my favorite chapter imo. I just loved to incorporate more of Percy’s life underwater and I loved writing Annabeth, Thalia, and Triton meeting oops. I also couldn’t resist adding a TLM mention bc come on, it’s too good of an opportunity haha. A million thanks to Ash (@riptidethesword) for beating☺️  
> And ty all who have stayed reading! I’m going to need to write a lot bc I’m rly behind, so I don’t think I’ll update next week, but I will the next, so stay tuned! Hope y’all liked this chapter as well :)


	8. stood on the cliffside

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *checks notes* last time I updated it was like...three months ago lol, but here it is! (finally) I guess I’m sorry for the long wait, but this is smth that I do for fun and I got other things to do like, idk, recover from miss rona sksjsis but it’s here and I’m happy on how it turned out. So ty for being patient and understanding and for still having hope in me, even when I kinda lost steam😌 This was going to be longer, but I couldn’t wait to update it haha and also it’s already fucking long. Idk how many more chapters I’ll have bc of that, so it’s probably not going to be 15 anymore. Anyway, enjoy!

It wasn’t Annabeth, nor her captor. But instead, Apollo. 

Percy tried not to show how upset he truly was, but he supposed he wasn’t succeeding much by the looks Thalia and Grover gave him.

What they’d told him was that Artemis (the little redheaded girl) didn’t want them to search for him, but rather, she waited for her brother Apollo to come and pick up the rest of his friends in his sun chariot as well as the Hunters.  _ Then _ they’d looked for Percy. Oh, and Bianca was now a Hunter, which felt like a slap to the face after Annabeth had fallen off a cliff only for the girl to not come with them to train at Camp Half-Blood.

Thalia had been forced to drive the sun chariot, (horrible idea, in his opinion) while Apollo nodded enthusiastically at her, not at all like his twin sister. Percy didn’t trust the god, especially if he was letting  _ Thalia  _ drive, which would be very bad for their health. 

Nico sat next to Percy since they were the only ones apart from Thalia who weren't interested in being with the immortal maidens, unlike Grover. He seemed to be eager to show off his reed pipes. The girls were not impressed.

“So,” Percy said, trying to make small talk. “Your sister is with the Hunters now, huh.”

Nico scowled. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Okay...Then—” The chariot bus tipped over from Thalia driving it to the side, her knuckles deathly white. 

“You got this!” yelled Apollo, but even  _ he _ seemed nervous.

“Anyway,” Percy said. “What else do you, um, wanna talk about?”

Nico’s eyes lit up. “Are you really a prince? A  _ sea  _ prince?”

“Uh...yeah, I am.”

And so they began the conversation of how life under the sea was for him. Percy was regretting his decision to sit next to Nico.

“Do you know Ariel? Do you like surfing?”

“Who’s Ariel?”

“Have you spent your whole life underwater?”

“Most of it, yeah.”

“Do you like pirates?”

“Um…” Percy glanced furtively to the back where Grover was. He caught Percy’s eye and shrugged. His face had some scratch marks. The hunters, maybe. 

He was greatly tempted to open the window and push the ten-year-old out of it when Nico said, “Is Annabeth your girlfriend?” 

“Excuse me?”

“If Annabeth’s the daughter of Athena, shouldn’t she know better than to jump off a cliff?”

Percy couldn’t answer that.

  
  


. . .

  
  


He was glad when Thalia finally stopped at camp, even if she’d almost burned down a few cities in the process and had scared the naiads half to death. Steam curled up from the bus. Hopefully it hadn’t boiled anyone.

Hesitantly, everyone trudged outside. Apollo kept that blinding grin of his, even when Thalia ran out the door to throw up. 

“You did amazing, dear. A little less pressure on the wheel next time, alright?”

The rest of the girls just grumbled to themselves about staying at a camp with  _ boys.  _

“Where did Artemis go, anyway?” Percy asked Artemis’ lieutenant Zoë. Her posture reminded him of Rhode, critical and indifferent to the others around them.

“It does not concern thee,” she sniffed. 

Apollo stood near the two, because he also jumped into the conversation. “Don’t worry about little sis, cousin. She’s searching for this really important monster. But I’ll keep a lookout since she ordered her Hunters to stay here.”

Zoë gave him a withering glare. Percy did not want to know what was too dangerous for the Hunters to follow. He watched Bianca run off with some other girls, completely ignoring her poor brother, who sulked with Grover, both of them forgotten.

Bianca leaving Nico (and camp) behind to be immortal with a club filled with stuck-up girls still gave him a bad aftertaste in his mouth; he wasn’t sure why, though. As much as Percy was beginning to dislike the Hunters, Thalia seemed to hate them tenfold, for some reason. It didn’t matter, though, because Percy didn’t feel the same way about them as she did. A voice inside his head kept nagging, whispering:

_ It’s because you want that, too. Immortality. _

_ You haven’t been granted any of what she has now. _

“Anyway,” Apollo said nervously. “I must be going. Best wishes to you all! And Perseus…” the sun god looked at him strangely. “Hmm. We shall see what becomes of you.”

. . .

When Chiron heard the news about Annabeth, he seemed to be just as upset as Percy and the others. He practically raised her, after all. To Thalia and Percy’s disdain, they couldn’t go search for her.

“You already got Ares on your bad side,” Thalia said, hauling him out of the Big House after he’d mouthed off to Dionysus about not caring about Annabeth or demigods in general. “You want another god as your enemy?”

“You’re right,” Percy sighed.

Thalia shook her head. In the darkness, she looked so miserable and small. Her breath was visible, as if she were some sort of dragon. He was so entranced with how it looked and the way everything was so  _ white  _ and soft, that Percy almost didn’t hear Thalia whisper to herself. 

“Everything is so unfair. I just wish…” 

She gazed longingly past her tree, past the camp borders. Percy wondered if she was thinking about Luke. He had a feeling about what she wanted to say, but he knew not to pester her or else things would get serious. He shivered. But not from the cold. It had never bothered him like it did to other mortals and demigods.

“We’ll get Annabeth back,” Percy finally said. “I promise.”

  
  


. . .

Thalia had picked up Annabeth's invisibility cap and had given it to Percy, maybe out of pity. He didn’t really care much of why; instead, he opened his backpack and took it out, feeling the soft leather of the blue. She’d told him once that it represented a baseball team from New York. He’d asked what was baseball, and she’d tried to explain about the new mortal sports, but he’d never fully understood.

The memory of her laughing at his lost expression made his arms shake with fury. That monster had taken her.  _ Luke  _ had something to do with it, without a doubt. 

_ I’m going to find her, whatever the cost. _

And when he did, Percy would not show mercy.

_ Last time will never happen. _

_ Never again. _

He tried to busy himself from his thoughts with Tyson’s broken shield. He needed to talk to his brother one of these days about fixing it. The sound of gurgling water broke Percy from his reverie.

_ That’s new. _

Percy’s eyes scanned the room until they landed on the source. At the back of the cabin was a small fountain of gray rock with a spout like the head of a fish. Out of the head flowed the water, and in the bottom were a couple of drachmas.

His father had made him a saltwater spring. And the drachmas were a sign that Poseidon wanted Percy to communicate with his family.

So he opened the window, letting the sunlight hit the salty spray to create a rainbow. He thought about calling Poseidon, or maybe Amphitrite. That was what a good son would do and most likely what they  _ wanted  _ him to do. Percy’s stepmom would be especially worried, but he figured that that wouldn’t be the case until later. 

_ Maybe Tyson? I haven’t talked to him in so long, despite him living underwater, as well. I could tell him about the shield... _

But Percy knew that this wasn’t the time, either. Tyson was probably too occupied making weapons. He always was. 

Finally, he decided on who to call. 

“O Iris, Goddess of the Rainbow. Accept my offering.” Percy threw the coin into the mist. “Show me Triton, at the palace of Poseidon.”

The image of his brother appeared in view. But Triton was not alone. He seemed to be discussing something with Rhode and Amphitrite, and everyone looked tense. 

“...But have you told father about this?” Rhode was saying. Her arms were crossed, and her eyes flashed with that dark green hue that meant she would drown some unlucky mortal if things didn’t calm down. 

“As I said before, I thought I’d neutralized the threat years ago,” Triton said. He seemed agitated, like he’d failed to do something and now everyone would pay the price.

“But Oceanus  _ warned _ you, how could you let that  _ go—” _

Amphitrite held out a hand to silence Rhode. She was calm, their mother. That was one of the things Percy loved most about her. 

“Triton is Lord of the Depths, I’m sure he did what he had to do. Your great grandfather has always been peaceful. We never knew things could escalate to this level. Your brother  _ did _ deal with the, er, only way Oceanus could get his revenge.”

“But, mother, it wasn’t the only way!  _ That’s _ the problem. War is brewing; Percy and that other girl are caught in the crossfire, and all because this  _ coward _ did not warn father—as if it weren’t his job to do so—when it very much is!” Her robes began to glow with energy, and Triton didn’t look much better. 

They hadn’t noticed Percy yet, maybe he could just end the call, do it some other time…but he needed to know what was going on.

Triton glowered at their sister. “I didn’t tell him because—”

Rhode scoffed. “Save me those damned excuses. Grandfather may have threatened Olympus anyway, but now the ancient rulers of the sea are coming for  _ our _ realm. And  _ you’re  _ the heir to said realm. Look at what you’ve done to it. Pathetic.” 

She stormed away. Literally. Percy was about to cut the iris message when Triton, without turning around said, “I know you’re there, Percy.”

_ Curse gods and their sixth sense. _

Amphitrite swiveled to where Percy’s image was broadcasted and gave him an apologetic smile. 

“As you can see, Atlantis is facing some...tense times,” his stepmom said.  _ That’s one way of putting it.  _ “I’m glad you’re safe at camp now, dear.”

“Sorry I didn’t tell you, Mom.”

Amphitrite waved his concerns away. Obviously, there were more important matters.

“Rhode is upset, as you can see. War is brewing.” Her brows furrowed, and he could tell that Rhode hadn’t been the only one affected. His mother seemed to have aged twenty years.

Percy took a deep breath. He didn’t want to break the news to Amphitrite about what was going on in the Dry World, much less what happened to Annabeth. Maybe she already knew. 

“Can I speak with Triton alone?”

They both turned to the merman in question. He was sulking against a pillar, eyes cast downwards. When he felt their gazes aimed at him, he looked up. Triton’s face showed little emotion, but still he nodded when Amphitrite excused herself. She gave Percy a reassuring smile, but it fell flat.

Thoughts of Annabeth were slightly forgotten when Percy realized how troubled Triton really was. He’d never seen his brother that way before. 

“What’s going on in Atlantis?”

He remembered something Luke had said last summer on  _ The Princess Andromeda: _

_ “Is Atlantis still at peace?” _

Percy had thought that it was just Luke trying to get under his skin...but now, he knew that Luke had known all along.

“Triton, what is it about Oceanus? Why are we at war?”

The merman pursed his lips. “He’s with Kronos, now. And he’s risen from the depths with the purpose of ruling the sea.”

“But why is Rhode saying it’s your fault?” Triton looked away dejectedly. “I deserve to know.” Percy tried to keep his voice from shaking, but he realized that it wasn’t working very well.

Triton regarded him for a moment. “I made a mistake long ago, yes.” He seemed to be choosing his words carefully, like he didn’t want to reveal too much information. “In my...thoughtlessness, Oceanus’ possible return was forgotten. And now the elder spirits of the sea are awakening.” 

“The Great Stirring. It’s happening in the Dry World, as well.”

His brother nodded. “Yes. But the sea is much worse. Grandfather’s cause has awakened the most dangerous monster of all. And it lies in our waters.”

“Why is it so dangerous? I can help.  _ Please _ .” 

Triton tilted his head slightly as if listening to a command. If possible, his face darkened even more. He averted his gaze again.

“I’m afraid I can’t tell you. Too dangerous for you specifically. I’m sorry. We are arming the Atlantean Guard, but like mother said, you need to stay where you are.”

_ He  _ is  _ hiding something. _

Percy wanted to lash out at Triton, to express how no one said anything, that they’d rather him die so this could be over. That he had to  _ do this  _ or,  _ do that;  _ how some just glanced his way with a look of pity because of The Great Prophecy. How he hated being mortal—and:  _ if only they knew what it was like, they’d understand _ . 

But Percy was more concerned about someone else at the moment, so he held his tongue. And besides, he figured it would be no use to demand more from Triton.

“Anyway,” he continued before Percy could mention Annabeth. “Be careful up there. I’ve reported to dad about grandfather’s ship, but our sea enemies are protecting it well. Luke is heading for the Panama Canal. I fear it’s not for some small break. Watch for that ship.”

Percy wasn’t so sure about  _ why _ —if it was so far from Long Island—but the look in Triton’s eyes meant that he couldn’t let his guard down.

“I—I will. And um, Tri...I wanted to tell you something that happened today—”

“About Annabeth? I know.”

Percy opened his mouth, but his brother beat him to it.

“Just...stay where you are as of now. I know it’s tempting to do what you like, but  _ stay there.” _

“But do you know if she’s alive?”

“Oh, she’s alive.”

Percy curled his hands into fists. He couldn't believe how all of a sudden Triton was dismissing that Annabeth was in danger and that he probably knew about it. 

“But—”

“I’ll help you...maybe through a dream, don’t worry. But I’ve got to go. I’m sorry, little brother. There’s no time to explain; I have to do my thing, and you have to do yours. I can’t interfere. Goodbye.”

And with that, the Iris Message was over, leaving him cursing his brother’s name in the pathetic, empty room that was Cabin Three.

  
  
  


_ Then. _

  
  


After a week of training and feeling like every movement he did was slow and uncontrolled, Percy could finally say that he had gotten the hang of fighting underwater. Maybe it was how relentless Triton had been about it. His brother, unlike the rest of the rest of Atlantis, hadn't openly praised him as the kingdom’s newest hope. Instead, Triton had pushed Percy harder than he ever had before. 

He was only too happy to distract himself with everything that had happened that summer. As much as everyone wanted to talk about his rise as a demigod hero, no one—not even Poseidon—voiced the most important discovery of the summer: Kronos. There couldn't be any talk about the awakening of the Lord of Time. Those were his father’s orders; few people actually knew, anyway. 

Something inside him kept clinging to the idea that maybe, just maybe, Kronos hadn’t been lying and that he could’ve brought his birth mother back. Perhaps he could’ve been made immortal. 

_ Was Luke a god, now?  _ Percy thought bitterly.

_ Was attempted murder and a civil war between the gods all it took? _

He doubted anything of the sort was true for his newest enemy. In the end, Percy couldn’t care less, not when he’d failed in the end. 

_ And fail to save what matters most in the _ —

Cold water slapped him in the face and rushed through his body, throwing Percy across the sand and into the endless blue. He silently cursed himself for not paying enough attention and letting Triton’s tricks get the better of him.

“Seriously?” Percy coughed from the sudden cloud of sand, swimming back to where the merman awaited. Triton had his eyebrows raised, probably out of boredom. “A northern current?”

“You’re not thinking straight,” Triton said simply. 

“Okay, well,” he lifted Riptide. “now I am.”

Triton shook his head, seeing right through Percy. “No, you’re not.”

“Tri, please,” he sighed. “I want to keep practicing, like you said. If I train hard enough, maybe I can finally fight with a trident.”

Triton’s eyes shone with what looked like sympathy. “You’re not ready, little brother.”

“What? But yesterday we talked—”

“Yes, you need all the practice you can get, and training with a trident will be a good improvement—” Percy tried to protest, but Triton silenced him with a look. “ _ But _ right now, you can’t do anything if your mind is going in circles.”

.

Amphitrite was the one that found Percy there, sulking in the sand, long after Triton had gone. 

“It’s his own unique way of caring for you, you know,” she said.

“Hmm.”

His mother chuckled — _ step _ mother _. _ Percy’s eyes bored onto his sword Riptide; he couldn’t bring himself to look at her. The Queen of the sea sighed and sat beside her stepson.

“I heard about your mother.” There wasn’t any bitterness behind her words, like he expected. 

“Is that why you think I’m so distracted?”

She glanced at Percy. He didn’t return her gaze. “I had a feeling. And so did Triton.” 

“It doesn’t matter anymore, anyway. All I want to do is train so I can be better.”

“But you can’t train like this,” Amphitrite said absentmindedly.

“Why not?” he shot back, finally looking at his stepmother. 

Her dark hair was braided with seashells, and it floated around like algae. Her robes were coral pink, contrasting nicely with her brown skin, and her horns were decorated in ornate jewelry. Overall, she looked like the Queen that she was. Percy was just a bastard; he’d never be like any of them.

Amphitrite regarded her stepson for a moment. “You know you don’t need to hide from me.”

He took a shaky breath. She was right, he couldn’t keep anything from her. 

“I just... It’s hard,” Percy sighed, dropping his head. Amphitrite put a hand on his back. “I always thought that she was some distant memory, like someone who wouldn’t ever be a part of my life. But then I had a chance to...bring her back, and I had this hope. But I failed—” his voice faltered.

“Perseus, look at me.” 

Percy reluctantly did as he was told, his tears were nearly invisible, anyway.

“Don’t blame yourself for something you had no control over,” she said. “What your uncle did was evil, but it wasn’t your fault you couldn’t bring her back. No one in history has been able to do that, and only the greatest heroes have gotten out of the underworld alive. What you did was extraordinary.  _ You  _ are extraordinary.”

“It’s only that...I don’t know why I felt so sad about it. Like sure, she’s my mom, but I never knew her.” Percy glanced at Amphitrite bashfully. “Honestly I didn’t know if you’d get mad at me. And I didn’t want her to replace you.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” She pulled him closer. With his head resting on her shoulder, Percy allowed himself to finally break down. “I understand I’m not your birth mother, but sometimes it feels like it is. I care for you so much. Ever since you were a baby, I thought about you as mine. 

“You're my little boy. But that doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to miss your mortal mother. That’s normal; it’s a part of grief. What you’re not allowed to do is blame yourself. You did the right thing, and that’s all there is to it.” 

They stayed that way for a while. Percy’s sobs slowly died down as Amphitrtie murmured soothing words into his hair. 

“You’ll be a great hero, Percy.” She kissed the top of his head. “The greatest of all.”

  
  
  


_ Now. _

  
  


Dinner wasn’t much better. Percy, like always, sat alone at the Poseidon table. Thalia sat with no one as well, glumly eating the pizza that he had grown to love. Nico was undetermined, so he ate accompanied by the few Hermes kids present, including the Stoll brothers. Fortunately, he didn’t look as angry as before. The boy was too awestruck to think too much about Bianca. 

The Hunters were the only ones who appeared to have a good time. Their table was the only one full to the brim, with girls laughing and cracking jokes. Bianca seemed to fit in just fine with them; she kept arm wrestling with a buff girl and smiling like she had found a new family. 

Even Zoë was smiling somewhat, which gave Percy whiplash. She reminded him of what had happened on his first day at Camp Half-Blood, when Annabeth had been all frowns and sneers until she was with her cabin-mates eating. Right then and there, Percy had realized how she actually liked to have fun and was just specially hostile towards him, just like Zoë now. The memory made him even more miserable about not being able to look for Annabeth. Worse was the worry and guilt that seemed to be hitting him repeatedly as if he had been hit head-first by a whale in the darkness of the ocean.

After Chiron announced the “good will” capture-the-flag game for tomorrow night and formerly welcomed the Hunters of Artemis, everyone trailed back to their respective cabins. Percy fell asleep right when he hit the pillow, exhaustion getting the best of him.

As expected, he had dreams. Maybe Triton was playing part in them like he’d promised. Maybe not. In any case, it showed him Annabeth.

She was trudging up a hill filled with debris, her body encased with soot. Annabeth paid it no mind. She was too busy calling for Dr. Thorne. When she reached the summit, Percy saw that Annabeth wasn’t alone. Luke was there, too, pain evident on his features. He was under huge dark rocks and his arms were lifted as if his strength were the only thing holding the mass together. His face was painted crimson with blood and sweat; he was breathing hard. Annabeth gasped when she saw him.

Luke gave her a strangled cry for help.

She ran forward, tears in her eyes that streaked down her dirt-encrusted cheeks.

Percy wanted to scream out:  _ Don’t listen to him! He’ll kill you, the traitor!  _

But his voice didn’t work.

By what Luke was telling her, they’d left him to die. Left him to struggle under some invisible force. 

_ Finally, even the other side has some sense. _

“Why should I trust you?” Annabeth’s voice was heavy with pain and betrayal.

“You shouldn’t,” Luke wheezed. “I’ve been terrible to you. But if you don’t help me, I’ll die.”

_ Then let him die!  _ Percy wanted to scream. Luke had tried to kill and manipulate them too many times now. Couldn’t Annabeth see that? 

_ She doesn’t owe you shit! Leave her alone! _

Then the darkness above Luke began to crumble like a cavern roof in an earthquake. Annabeth’s eyes widened when she understood what would happen if she didn’t help. 

_ Leave him to rot! Don’t help him! _

Too late. 

As huge chunks of rock fell, Annabeth rushed to where Luke was crumpled on the ground and held the ceiling all by herself somehow. By some miracle, it didn’t collapse.

Suddenly, Luke rolled free. “Thanks,” he gasped.

“Help me hold it,” Annabeth groaned.

Luke caught his breath. He rose unsteadily, still flush from exertion. “I knew I could count on you.” He began to walk away as the trembling blackness threatened to crush Annabeth.

“HELP ME!” 

“Oh, don’t worry,” Luke said. “Your help is on the way. It’s all part of the plan. In the meantime, try not to die.”

The ceiling of darkness began to crumble again, pushing Annabeth against the ground.

Percy awoke with a start, almost falling off the bed. He could still hear his best friend’s sobs of pain—from the crushing weight and from Luke’s betrayal—echoing through his mind.

_ Oh, she’s alive,  _ Triton had said. That memory didn’t help Percy’s trembling to subside.

The spring, which had stopped its flow of water for a moment, turned on again as if someone had flipped a switch. The eerie gurgling sound calmed his sharp breathing, and Percy slowly came back to his senses.

He swore this was his brother’s sign that he  _ had  _ shown Percy what had happened to Annabeth. 

He was also certain of this: Annabeth was in mortal danger, and Luke was responsible.

  
  


. . .

Zoë had a nightmare that same night, according to Grover. He had apparently grown too fond of them and had spied on the girls the night before. What his friend had seen was Zoë arguing with Argus and Chiron about needing to leave Camp because Artemis was in trouble. 

But not just in trouble. The goddess had been kidnapped.

It couldn’t be a coincidence that Zoë had a nightmare the same night as him. The dreams were connected, either by Triton’s doing or something else, but connected nonetheless.

“I’ve got to talk to Zoë,” Percy told Grover.

“Before you do…” Grover took something out of his coat pocket. It was some sort of paper advertisement. “You know how it was kinda weird that the Hunters showed up at Westover Hall? I think they might’ve been scouting us.”

“Scouting us? What do you mean?”

He gave Percy the paper. 

It was an advertisement for the hunters. What did they call it, a brochure? It displayed several pictures of care-free immortal maidens, and in bold letters said:  _ Join for a boy-free tomorrow! _

“This...was on Annabeth’s backpack.”

Of course.

She had wanted to join those Hunters. No boys, maidens forever Hunters. He didn’t understand why he felt a sudden desire to puke the few bites of bread he had eaten.

. . .

Percy couldn’t take it anymore, so he went to the only entity who could give him some type of answer.

The Oracle.

But the corpse said nothing, only stared lifelessly with those hollowed eye sockets and that gaping mouth.

That afternoon was spent sulking by the lake. He was so worried sick about Annabeth that he didn’t realize he’d almost drowned an entire trireme, ignoring the panicked screams of his camp-mates as the water tried to swallow them whole. Fortunately, the naiads helped the spluttering campers ashore. They greedily inhaled oxygen and glared daggers at Percy, even when he tried to apologize, horrified by what he’d done. 

No one could look at him directly in the eye after that.

  
  


. . .

  
  


Percy wasn’t sure if the campers would still want him co-captaining Capture the Flag after what had happened by the lake. In the end, no one objected when he and Thalia announced that they’d be in charge, but he wasn’t that surprised when they skirted around him and Thalia as everyone put on their armor. They probably didn’t want to test the two children of The Big Three when said demigods had just lost a friend. 

Besides, most of them were more concerned about the Hunters—especially the Aphrodite cabin.

Percy knew they were as competitive as any other demigod, but usually they were more on the peaceful side of things. That didn’t seem to be the case right now as they grumbled to themselves. Silena looked ready to kill the immortal maidens in one go, which wasn’t a good sign since she was the nicest of her cabin. 

“I’ll show them ‘love is worthless,’” she muttered. “I’ll pulverize them!”

Percy turned to Thalia. “Hey, so—”

“I take offense, you take defense,” she interrupted just as he was about to propose the same thing, only in reverse.

“Um...don’t you think that you’d be better off as offense? With your shield and all?”

“I think quite the opposite, actually.”

The air thickened around them, and Percy had the urge to argue, but now was not the time.

He nodded slowly. “...Okay. Cool.”

She nodded as well, a coldness to her eyes as if daring him to protest. “Cool.”

  
  
  


. . .

  
  


“I’ll take the main raiding party around to the right and catch them by surprise,” Thalia said.

She was a natural leader, so everyone nodded defiantly, confident that they could actually beat the other side. Percy was a bit jealous, he had to admit.

Okay, a lot.

And really, it wasn’t that surprising since the two cousins already had the rivalry going for them even though they tried to suppress it as best they could for Annabeth’s sake. Thalia wasn’t  _ that  _ bad, anyway—not like her father, Zeus. But in the end, what bothered him most about her was how  _ certain _ she was of everything. How easily she could do things and make decisions. How everyone actually trusted her. 

She cast her gaze at him. “Anything to add, Percy?”

“Um, yeah. Keep sharp on defense. We’ve got four guards, two scouts. That’s not much for a big kelp—I mean forest. I’ll be roving. Yell if you need help.”

“And don’t leave your post!” Thalia said.

“Unless you see a golden opportunity,” he added.

Thalia frowned at him. “Just don’t leave your post.”  
  


. . .

He saw a golden opportunity. The Hunters’ center was wide open; they were split up, but they’d also spotted Thalia.

Percy had to be fast, which was something that he still wasn’t very good at on land, but he was sure he could make it.

He glanced at Beckendorf. “Can you guys hold the fort?”

It wasn’t really a question for the son of Hephaestus. He just nodded and ushered Percy away while the Stoll brothers and Nico cheered.  
  


. . .

  
  


He had never run this fast before. It felt freeing, somehow, like riding the wind. His feet skidded past the creek, the water giving him a huge boost. He stormed to enemy territory and took the guard completely by surprise.

It was Bianca. Her eyes widened, but it was too late. Percy slammed into her, making the huntress crash into the sea foam-white snow.

“Sorry!” Percy yelled, snatching the silver flag.

He had it made.

Almost. 

Bianca cried for help, and a silvery cord sprouted across his ankles. 

  
  
  


. . .

  
  


“The Hunters win,” Chiron said grimly as the girls cheered for Zoë and clapped her on the back. She still had the blue flag, while  _ he _ hadn’t been able to reach the boundary line on time.

“Perseus  _ Jackson!”  _ Thalia yelled. Everyone winced, and Percy tried not to do the same. He hated it when others used his full name—much less his full name and “Jackson”, which was new—it usually meant they were very, very pissed. 

She strode toward him, not caring about the unlucky demigods who stood in her way. her army boots, (as she liked to call them) made crunching noises in the snow. her armor sparked with blue electricity. The campers retreated even more at the sight of Aegis.

“What the  _ fuck  _ were you thinking?” 

Percy’s nostrils flared. He’d had enough of her ordering him around.

“I got the flag, Thalia!” He shook the flag in her face. “I saw a chance and took it!”

“I WAS AT THEIR BASE!” Thalia bellowed. “But the flag was gone. If you hadn’t  _ butted in, _ we would’ve won!”

“You had too many on you!”

“Oh, so it’s my fault?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Argh!” Thalia pushed Percy, hard. An electric-like shock went through him—and the next thing he knew, he had landed in the cold creek water.

The campers gasped. The Hunters tried not to snicker.

Thalia’s eyes grew wide. “Sorry!” she said, mortified. “I didn’t mean—”

_ I’ll show her “sorry”. _

A storm funneled inside Percy’s head, like those times Eldoris’ calming method didn’t work out so well. Just like every single time he did something reckless.

A wave spurted out of the creek, hitting Thalia with full force. After it receded, she lay sprawled on the now muddied ground, coughing and spluttering. Percy felt some of the campers wincing—he had to guess from sympathy. This wasn't the first time he’d nearly drowned someone.

Percy stood up. “Yeah,” he growled. “I didn’t mean to, either.”

Thalia took a shaky, gullible breath. Slowly, she got to her feet, ignoring Chiron’s pleas for them to stop. They were just getting started.

The daughter of Zeus lifted her spear. “You want some, Seaweed Brain?”

_ She is not allowed to call me that. _

_ Only Annabeth can. _

_ A child of Zeus...I have to, to… _

“Bring it on, Pinecone Face!”

Her blue eyes leveled with his. They were too electric, too much like her father’s. Percy had been stupid enough not to have seen that. 

With a yell, lightning blasted from the sky, ricocheting off of Thalia’s shield and hitting Percy square in the chest. He went airborne—again. Smoke billowed from his clothes.

“Thalia!” Chiron said. “That is  _ enough.” _

The water helped Percy up before anything else could happen. The campers retreated further away. 

Good.

The entire creek rose, hundreds of gallons of icy water in one gigantic mass, all of it ready to be unleashed.

Something deep inside him told him to stop, but he pushed it down. It was hard not to when all Percy could think about were the reasons he couldn’t stand Thalia, and then Annabeth telling him that either Thalia would be his best friend or his bitterest enemy. Everything he’d suppressed had come back to taunt him.

As the water rose higher, Thalia’s confident demeanor faded away. Chiron begged,  _ pleaded  _ with Percy, trying to get some sense into him; Poseidon’s power had always been more primal, after all—but nothing could stop him now. That is, until he saw the strange shadow trudging behind the trees.

Percy’s anger faded away to curiousness. The water splashed back into the creek. Everyone turned to look at the shrouded figure approaching.

They all gasped when they realized that it was, in fact, the Oracle as she shuffled forward to the center of the group. Even Chiron seemed nervous. It was hard to achieve that when he’d seen a millennia of things through his lifetime. 

But this one was new.

“It—she...” the centaur stuttered. “she has never left the attic. Never.”

No one dared to breathe a word, not even as green mist enveloped everyone’s feet.

_ I am the spirit of Delphi, _ the voice hissed in his mind.  _ Speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python.  _

The Oracle regarded Percy with its cold, dead eyes. Hopefulness sparked in him. He’d finally get his prophecy. Then she turned unmistakably toward Zoë Nightshade. 

_ Approach, Seeker, and ask. _

Zoë stepped forward. “What must I do to help my goddess?”

  
  
  


. . .

  
  


> _ Five shall go west to the goddess in chains, _
> 
> _ One shall be lost in the land without rain, _
> 
> _ The bane of Olympus shows the trail, _
> 
> _ Campers and Hunters combined prevail, _
> 
> _ The Titan’s curse must one withstand, _
> 
> _ And one shall perish by a parent’s hand. _

He was the most hated person at camp for losing to the Hunters. And the oracle had chosen Zoë. 

_ Zoë. _

Worst of all was that the prophecy hadn’t hinted at anything that had to do with Annabeth. Not one line was about her. Percy felt like the Oracle had willingly excluded him, preferring to answer to  _ Zoë’s  _ needs.

These thoughts swirled around in his head like loose sand after a storm as he sat next to Grover at the counselor emergency meeting. They had been gathered by Mr. D to discuss the prophecy. 

“As I was saying,” Zoë sighed, “I will take Phoebe. And I wish Bianca to go, too.”

Bianca stared at her lieutenant in shock. “ _ Me?  _ But...I won’t be any good. I’m—I’m so new.”

“Thee shall do fine. It is the best way to prove thyself,” Zoë said. 

Bianca nodded slowly, her eyes still wide. 

_ Poor thing,  _ he thought.

“And the campers?” Chiron asked. He met Percy’s eyes, but they were just as mysterious as Poseidon’s.

“Me!” Grover shouted. He stood up so fast that he bumped into the ping pong table. “Anything to help Artemis!”

After some convincing, Zoë agreed. Now there was only one spot left, and Percy intended to take it. 

Thalia beat him to it.

“I’ll go,” she said.

“Hey, wait a minute,” he protested, standing up alongside Thalia. “I want to go, too.”

He realized too late what the look in Chiron’s eyes meant. The centaur stared at him with eyes of pity. He didn’t want any pity. Thalia said nothing, only looking straight ahead.

Grover's eyes widened as he understood the problem. He tried to convince Zoë that he could stay; let Percy go on the quest, but it was no use.

“I won’t have Hunters traveling with a boy,” she insisted. And for all of Percy’s arguing, Zoë’s choice had been final. There was nothing he could do for her to accept him as a member of the quest. 

Gods, he hated her.

  
  
  


. . .

  
  


“Grover,” Chiron said, “perhaps you’d let me have a word with Percy?” 

They’d both come looking for him after dinner since Percy hadn’t bothered to show up. Grover, having promised him that he would look everywhere for Annabeth, nodded and left them to it. Percy could still hear the satyr sniffling even after he had trudged outside.

“I don’t pretend to understand prophecies,” Chiron said as he knelt by Percy’s bedside. 

“That’s ‘cause they don’t make sense.”

“If it makes you feel better, Thalia wouldn’t have been my first choice for this quest. She’s too impulsive. Acts without thinking.”

“Would you have chosen me?” 

Chiron gazed at the saltwater spring on the other side of the room. “No,” he said simply. “You and Thalia are too much alike.”

Percy chuckled drily. “That does not make me feel better. And anyway, I’ve heard someone else say  _ that  _ before”

“Well,” the centaur smiled. “You  _ are  _ somewhat different. Despite you being raised like a prince, you are still less sure of yourself than Thalia.”

_ That’s an understatement.  _

“That could be good or bad,” Chiron mused. “But I am sure of one thing: Both of you together are a dangerous thing.”

“We can handle it.”

“Like you did at the creek?”

Touché.

  
  
  


. . .

  
  


“O goddess, accept my offering.” 

Once again, Percy decided to IM his family. Maybe it was for the best that he left camp and helped with war preparations, no matter how adamant they had been about it earlier. This time, though, he asked for his stepmother.

The mist shimmered until it painted a scene of Amphtrite pacing in her bedchambers. Or what counted as pacing underwater. Occasionally, she’d stare into a sphere that Percy realized broadcasted parts of the kingdom. Something lit up inside of it, casting Amphitrite’s face in a yellow light. Poseidon was nowhere in sight.

“Mom!” Percy said.

She turned to him and smiled, but he could tell it was forced. “Hello, son. Is everything okay?”

“What’re you doing?” he demanded.

“Oh, just...keeping an eye on the conflict around the kingdom. We still have the upperhand, at least.”

“That...That’s good, right?”

“Yes.” She sounded unsure, even with her breezy smile. Before Percy could ask more, Amphitrite waved her hand, making the sphere disappear into bubbles. “Now, enough of that. Tell me what’s wrong.”

He told her about Annabeth and the rest, but mainly about Annabeth.

Amphitrite knit her eyebrows. “Oh dear. I hadn’t realized the Dry World is searching for  _ that  _ monster, as well. Much less about Artemis, and—oh, Percy, I’m so sorry to hear about Annabeth! No matter what your ridiculous father says, she is still your friend. That is truly unfortunate.”

Percy blinked back tears. “Yeah. But there’s nothing I can do. Guess I’ll be coming home.”

She pursed her lips and shook her head. “No, sweetheart. You can’t come home.”

“Is this because of the Great Stirring?”

“Yes.” She absently stroked her seashell necklace, then glanced at Percy. “But it’s more than that. You are  _ needed  _ on land.”

“So what am I supposed to do? Just stay at camp and hope that  _ Thalia _ rescues Annabeth?”

Amphitrite laughed as if he’d said something silly. “You know what I mean. It is you who is meant to be on that quest.”

“Kinda hard to do that when I’m a boy.”

“Limitations like these have never stopped you before.” She crossed her arms and gave him her signature motherly look. “Remember when you followed your friend the sperm whale to her first deep dive so she wouldn’t be alone?”

“Her name’s Nefeli, and yes, I remember. But what’s the point of this?”

“Well, you weren’t allowed to go with her. I clearly remember telling you that under no circumstances would you follow her because it was dangerous and you weren’t a whale. So what was the point of you doing the dive? But you did it anyway. And you did it, because no matter what me or your father told you, you’d still follow your heart. Percy, you cared for that whale when no one else did, and you knew that accompanying her was the right thing to do.”

“You’re saying that I should go.”

Amphitrite shrugged. “The sea does not like to be restrained, as your father loves to remind me everytime humans piss him off. Unfortunately, every single one of his spawns inherits this nature of his. I’m just encouraging you to let it guide you.”

“How do you know I’ll do the right thing in the end?”

“I don’t know about everyone else, but you’ll do the right thing for Annabeth.” Her eyes glinted with something Percy couldn’t place. “I have a feeling she’d do the same for you.”

  
  
  


. . .

  
  


In his dreams, he was back in that horrible chamber. Annabeth was still holding on to the ceiling, but Percy didn’t know how long she could withstand to be like this. He wanted to look away, but he couldn’t take his eyes off of her.

Luke was there, too. He seemed almost concerned about Annabeth’s condition, the hypocrite. Some other being was there, but the shadows hid the person from view. Suddenly, the mysterious shadow thrust someone into the light. 

Artemis.

She was bound in chains, and her silver dress was tattered. Ichor painted her skin golden. 

“You heard the boy,” the voice in the shadows growled. “Decide or the girl dies!”

The chains must’ve been very powerful, because the goddess didn’t try to escape. Her eyes flashed with righteous anger, but when she caught sight of Annabeth, her expression changed to concern and rage that someone could torture a maiden this way. 

Before long, the huntress had made her decision. 

Luke broke her bounds and she ran to Annabeth, taking the burden from her shoulders. Percy sighed in relief as Annabeth crumpled to the ground in exhaustion, the weight no longer on her shoulders. But the relief faded as quickly as it had appeared. 

The goddess was trapped under the weight of the rocks, and Annabeth, unconscious and injured, was at the mercy of Luke. And Percy was helpless to stop him.

Before Percy could run to Annabeth, the dream faded to darkness. It was as if he stepped into an inky void.

"Hello?" he called out. No response. 

But almost instantly, he caught sight of a green glow, getting brighter by the second. Voices echoed through the darkness. Then came the sound of something Percy was all too familiar with.

He heard water, ocean waves, to be exact.

Currents.

The sea. 

A voice overpowered the sudden chaos.. He also knew very well who it was, even before the man’s words became recognizable to him.

“Artemis  _ has  _ to be at the solstice so a proper declaration of war can be made,” Triton’s voice echoed from everywhere at once. His brother was there somewhere in the darkness. “You want to help Annabeth and Atlantis? Then you need to follow that quest.”

The sounds of the sea calmed. The green glow surrounded him, and all of a sudden, his stomach dropped like it did when he fell off the lava wall. He was falling. Falling into the rolling waves and the crashing rocks. When Percy glimpsed the ocean below, his fear vanished. He didn't even feel the impact. Instead, he surrendered to it and let the current take him away, enveloping him into the deep blue mass. 

_ Go, my prince,  _ the water whispered.

“I was already planning on it.”

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter title is from the song Hoax by Taylor Swift. Also, I’m sorry if it’s kinda messy; I’m going to edit this later maybe. I don't promise anything on the next update bc I know what happened last time, but I am more satisfied with my writing and my inspiration for this is back, but like, my inspiration is worse than my mood swings so idk. Thanks for waiting again and until next time ;)

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me in Tumblr as @chironshorseass where I post art, answer questions, and more haha if y’all want to check it out!


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